What if Martin Didn't Get a Chance to Propose
by nature of things
Summary: Doc Martin is owned by Buffalo Pictures. I just enjoy playing with the characters This takes place after the horrid friend Holly was taken away in the ambulance and Martin had helped Louisa clean up the mess.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter one

Martin was trying to clean Louisa's floor after Holly's accident to protect her from the broken glass. Unfortunately, he made it worse by throwing up again. The smell was overwhelming and his fingers were bloody. So, up came everything that was left in his roiling stomach. He was relieved that she wasn't upset or disgusted with him. She was the first person that he wasn't embarrassed in front of by his phobia. He felt that she understood and was ok with it. Big relief there! She calmly got him a glass of water, handed him the hand soap and pointed to the sink without making any comment. She knew better than to tell him to leave it, that she could finish by herself. While he was washing his hands, she got two pairs of gloves out of his bag and went to work. The floor was cleaned with anti-septic cleanser and he had no other excuse to stay. Moving slowly, he re-packed his bag and nodded to her and turned to leave.

He was trying to find the will to walk out the door and leave Louisa, the love of his life. His heart was breaking but he had grown up experiencing that feeling and didn't know how to pierce the wall he had built over the years to protect himself from hurt. With his hand on the door knob, shaking and sweating, he struggled. Then he heard a faint whisper and turned around to see tears running down Louisa's face and her hands reaching out to him. He stood there totally unable to cope with the tide of feelings washing over him. Louisa crying! No, no! He was frozen in place and trying desperately to figure out what he had done to hurt her again.

Louisa's heart was breaking and she was panicking. The man who set her heart racing every time she saw him was walking out the door. With tears running down her face, she reached out her hands and whispered "Martin". He turned around and she saw the terrible struggle he was going through written on his face and how lost he was in how to deal with it. That was her first true insight into their relationship. He really didn't know how to express his feelings and he was desperately shy. That's why he did nothing to help their relationship develop! She knew he had feelings for her, deep feelings. So, she took the initiative and took a few steps towards him. "Martin, I'm sorry for what I said. Please stay for a minute and talk to me." Those simple words and her movements freed him enough so that he could walk quickly to her and hug her tightly, lifting her off the floor. With his face buried in her neck, he whispered her name "Louisa, Louisa. I'm sorry." She returned his hug, kissing his neck and ear and feeling so secure in his arms. After several minutes, their embrace loosened enough for her to look at his face. There was so much tenderness and love in his expression that it took her breath away. Then she took her arms from around his neck and held his face between her hands and kissed him. Their kiss wasn't as much passionate but as a way of replacing doubt and hurt with tenderness and commitment.

She took his hand and led him to the couch intending to sit beside him but he sat down first and pulled her onto his lap and held her tightly, still in the glow of what had just happened between them. He was terrified that he would again say something that would make her angry or hurt her feelings. Her arms were around his neck and her cheek was pressed to his. She whispered

"I'm so tired of fighting with you." She rubbed her face in the soft skin of his neck and continued "Do you think we can ever reach a point that we can just enjoy being together,


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two

She whispered "I'm so tired of fighting with you." She rubbed her face in the soft skin of his neck and continued "Do you think we can ever reach a point that we can just enjoy being together, relaxing and just talking? I would like that so much."

Martin felt so inept and clumsy when trying to talk to people about anything but medicine. And, everything he said to her was wrong and made her angry and most of the time he had no idea why.

She felt him open his mouth a couple of times, swallow convulsively and sigh with frustration but he didn't speak. She pulled back slightly and looked at him. He looked so vulnerable and helpless. Why? She softly kissed his lips and felt him start to respond but then he pulled back. He held on to her waist, pulling her tightly into his lap, shaking his head slightly.

Keeping her voice soft and inviting, "Martin, we have a lot of work to do to make this relationship work. I want that more than I've ever wanted anything. But we need to talk at least a little. I'm willing to try. Are you?" She lifted his chin so that he had to look at her while she waited for an answer. He nodded and she could barely hear him when he said, "I want that, too. I want to say so much but I never found it easy to talk about my feeling to anyone. Almost my whole life has taught me to keep quiet."

Cuddling her face into his neck again, she said softly, "We can work on that together as we go along. I do want to ask one question now though, if that's ok?"

He pushed away just enough to see her face. She could see that he looked a little alarmed but he answered, "Yes, if you feel that it's important, go ahead."

Watching his face for signals or signs of discomfort, she asked "You said you loved me. Was that just the wine or did you mean it?"

He frowned again and said almost sternly, "Of course I meant it. I don't say things that I don't mean."

Relieved and touched, she hugged his neck tightly again, kissed his ear and whispered "I meant it too. Please don't ever leave me." They sat quietly for a few minutes enjoying this new experience of just holding each other close. She stirred a little and still snuggling against him, she whispered into his ear, "And would you do me a favor?"

"Of course! If I'm able to, always!"

"Tell me again."

Without hesitation, simply and matter of factly, he moved her away enough to look into her face and said, "I love you."

Then his mobile rang. "Bullocks!" said Martin. He was so tempted to not answer it but his dedication to his duty of care won. He looked at her with regret and she just nodded, understanding what he had to do. Someone had taken a tumble on the coastal walk that went past his surgery and his friend was afraid that he had hurt his back. "Please come, Doc! I think he's hurt bad!" Martin sprang into his medical mode and asked his usual questions, is he breathing, bleeding, conscious. Satisfied with the answers, he barked "I'll be there in 15 minutes. Keep him as calm and as still as you can. Understand?" The friend answered in a shaky voice "Yes. Please hurry!"

He released her and they both stood looking at each other for some idea of what they should do next. He surprised her by asking very tenuously "Can I come back here tonight and have dinner with you?"

She answered with delight in her voice and on her face "Of course! Tell me quickly what you'd like to have and I'll go shopping."

Relieved and almost smiling, he answered "Fish and fresh vegetables. Or beans and brown rice. If you wait for me, I'll help you prepare it. Is that ok?"

Kissing him quickly, she answered "Absolutely! See you around 6?" Nodding, he rushed out the door.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three

Louisa had to take a minute to realize what had just happened. She plopped back on the couch, sitting in a daze of happiness with a dreamy smile until the sound of men yelling at someone down on the plat brought her back to reality. Would anyone believe that a person could go from hopelessness and despair to happiness that quickly? "I need a cuppa and just one Chocolate Digestive to help me think." After brewing the tea, she sat down to think about how she should deal with the chance of a relationship with the man she now realized without a doubt was her love. The one she had been waiting for. She got a tablet and pen and started making lists. Lists helped her to think logically.

First, his qualities:

His intelligence

His character

His knowledge

His honesty

How secure I feel around him even when he's being difficult

His dedication to his craft

The expression on his face when he gives me that look that is just so mine

The way he makes me feel precious to him

And the way he kisses!

He is the most attractive man I have ever met

He takes my breath away every time I see him

So well groomed and dressed in those lovely suits. He looks better in a suit that anybody

The way he deals with Peter Cronk

Problems (not "His problems" because I sure have them as well. If things are going well, ask him to tell me what bothers him about me. The old saying, "If you can't stand the truth, don't ask for it!")

So reserved and shy. They really need to find a way to communicate verbally better

Stubborn and rude

He says such hurtful things without realizing how they make me feel embarrassed or angry

He seems to really dislike PortWenn and most of the people here

How can we deal with each other in a more positive way

(Most of this will be up to me)

Keep in mind that he doesn't mean to hurt me. He just doesn't have a clue

When he says hurtful things, try to explain why they're hurtful without losing my temper or sounding critical

Give him time to formulate his answers. Listen to what he says verbally _and_ physically. Don't jump in and say what I think he means to say. That makes him angry and I don't learn anything

Be encouraging and positive

Don't be hesitant to show your feelings

Learn to cook healthy meals

Become friends. We need that as a basis for our relationship and how it develops

Ask what he thinks about couples counseling

Ask Al to buy some condoms from Mrs. Tishell just to have on hand. I can hope anyway!

She tore off the list and laid it on the table to work on as she thought of things to add

Then she called Al. They knew each other so well that he didn't blink an eye because he had a shrewd idea who the lucky fellow was. He just merely asked what size. Then after a moment's thought, he said "Never mind. I bet he takes at least a large. If and when it happens, enjoy it. OK?"

She picked up her bag and headed out to the market. She was in luck and met Joan unloading fresh vegetables from the back of her truck.

"Hello Louisa. How's everything with you?" Joan asked.

She replied with a smile on her face and eyes shining "Couldn't be better. I don't want the whole village to know but Martin is coming for dinner tonight and I'm on my way to buy fresh veggies and fish. Do you know what his favorite fish is?"

Joan was delighted with the news. She had seen the distress Martin was in after Louisa ended their relationship. However they reached this point didn't matter. She just prayed that everything would work out for her beloved nephew and that he could find some happiness. "He likes all kinds of fish but monk fish is his favorite. He doesn't eat many sweets and usually has fresh fruit and cheese for afters. Come here and let me just give you some veggies for tonight. I'm happy he's getting out of the house. Let's see, broccoli, ooh the squash is very nice and here are some new red potatoes and kale. Nice salad greens. And some carrots and here's a cucumber. How about an onion? On second thought, no onions. Yes, well then here they are. Now all you need is the fish, fruit and cheese." Suddenly she stopped and looked hesitantly at Louisa and said "I don't mean to take over. I'm just excited. Are you angry with me at all?"

Louisa smiled even more and replied "How in the world could I angry at such generosity! I appreciate it. It's the first time we've eaten together and I want everything to be perfect. These veggies are wonderful! Now, I've got to run. There are a lot of things I need to accomplish before he arrives."

She and Joan embrace, say good-bye and Louisa rushes off to finish her shopping. Joan calls after her "Tell Marty I said hello, will you?" Then, hesitating, she calls again. Louisa turns around and sees Joan motioning her to come back.

Looking very uncomfortable, Joan pleads, "Please, be patient with him. He's so worth the effort,"

Hugging Joan again, Louisa nods and whispers, "That's my plan." Then she rushes off again. The monk fish has literally just come off the boat and the fish monger just got it cleaned and was starting to wrap it when Louisa got to his store. Things were going just great! Next, the cheese and fruit. She didn't know what Martin liked so she got her favorite cheese – yarg cheese from a local dairy and fresh fruit to make fruit cups. And she bought some whole grain bread just out of the oven from the baker. Feeling confident in her purchases, she headed home.

Pedicure, manicure, shave my legs, wash my hair, shower, lotion and just a touch of my Kensa perfume. My new jeans are a perfect fit and look so good with my red jumper. Light makeup and – pony tail or loose? Loose and pull the sides back with berets. Satisfied with how she looks she heads for the kitchen to get things started.

She forgot fresh flowers for the table and had to settle for a pretty table cloth and lovely paper napkins and place settings for two. Martin would need an apron. She didn't have one to fit him so got a bath towel and a safety pin. He would just have to make do. She started washing the veggies and then stopped realizing she didn't know how he wanted to prepare them. There was nothing she could do with the fish so she made the fruit cups and sliced some of the cheese. "Be calm and welcoming Louisa. Don't be too eager or talk too much. And whatever happens, _don't lose your temper_." She realized she was talking to herself and started to feel nervous. Then she started worrying about "Kiss him when he comes in or not?" She was working herself into a full blown nervous fit when he knocked on the door.

Forgetting all the advice she gave to herself and her uncertainty, she ran to the door, pulled him inside and kissed him with all the warmth and feelings that were bubbling inside her and then gave him a brilliant smile. Needless to say, once he got over his surprise, the kiss and hug were returned with enthusiasm.

Martin had never before felt like ignoring someone who needed his help but the act of leaving Louisa at that very interesting time was extremely hard. He rushed to the site of the accident and quickly realized that the man had just suffered a jarring fall but had not broken anything or hit his head so no worry about a concussion. He told the man to go home and rest for the next two days, take his prescription and stay hydrated. He told the woman with him to get the prescription filled and she readily agreed. "If you're not feeling better after two days, make an appointment at the surgery. Here's my card." They both thanked him profusely and he shrugged it off "I'm just doing my job." and walked back to the surgery.

It was just a few minutes till the surgery closed and Martin fidgeted and worried until he was just about in a nervous panic and seriously thought about not going. Then he remembered how Louisa felt in his arms and the way she held him like he was really important to her. He had to see her just one more time and besides, she was buying fish for him! Maybe they really could work it out.

He picked out another suit, sparkling white shirt, red tie and brightly polished shoes. "Even if I am a conversational bore except when talking medicine, I can certainly honor the occasion by looking my best." Shave, shower, deodorant (lord, he was sweating!) brush teeth and gargle twice. What else? Try to stay calm and _talk_. What about he had no idea but he was determined to try. Fresh flowers that _he_ bought and not some that a patient had left in the surgery. Should he kiss her? No, he didn't want to push it. Condoms? God, it would full fill a lot of dreams! Condoms? He could picture the look on Mrs. Tishell's face! Was it worth the embarrassment? YES! Wait, the grocery store will have them. It had been so long. Large? Now he remembered – extra large. It's time to go. Stay calm!

He arrived at the door, knocked and to his utter delight, Louisa grabbed him, pulled him inside and they kissed. The flowers dropped on the floor forgotten. Then they just held each other feeling every inch of the others body. They slowly broke the embrace and stood, drinking in the sight of each other. His shyness considerably diminished, he picked up the flowers and handed them to her with that look on his face. Of course, he deserved a thank you kiss for his thoughtfulness. That was sure easy to do.

With that smile that he loved, Louisa stepped out of the embrace and finally greeted him by saying "Hello Martin. I'm so glad you came. I think I have everything that you wanted so are you still going to do the cooking? Wait, let me get a vase for these lovely flowers. Thank you so much for them."

He took off his suit jacket and hung it carefully in the coat closet, pinned the towel around his waist and waited hesitantly to see what she expected him to do.

She asked "Are you waiting on me to give orders? No way. I'm the assistant and am waiting on _your_ orders!"

He was very pleased to realize that he was relaxing a little. Teaching – even if was just how to prepare a simple meal, he was in comfortable territory. He knew he was a good teacher. He rolled up his shirt sleeves and said "Ok, let's get started. I'll start on the vegetables and fish. I like the vegetables roasted with a little garlic and basil and the fish baked with just a little pepper. All right with you?"

He could have said he ate the fish cooked over an open fire with the scales still on and she would say ok. Fortunately, his suggestion was perfect so she replied "Absolutely fine. It sounds wonderful. I'm going to watch you so that I can learn how to do this. Mostly I'm too knackered during the week when I get home to do much in the kitchen so I only get to cook a real meal during the week-ends. Even then, it's just something quick. I know, I know, you won't like it but whatever I fix is usually just fried or microwaved." Ignoring his disapproving look, she said eagerly "Now, what do I do? Oh, I forgot to wash the salad greens. Should I do that first or what?"

He was watching her face and was confused with the happiness he saw there. So hard to believe that she really was glad to see him! "Yes, that's a good plan. Then, if you would, help me coarse chop the veggies. These are really fresh. Where did you find them?"

She was getting out the colander and the salad bowls and answered "No wonder they're fresh. I ran into Joan and she contributed them to our dinner. And, she said to tell you hello. She also said that you're favorite fish is monk fish and I was lucky because it had just literally come off the boat and the fish monger didn't even have it wrapped yet so it's really fresh as well."

She finished washing the greens and while they drained, she helped with the veggies. Louisa could sense that he was more relaxed than she had ever seen him. She reminded herself to stay calm, be encouraging, don't be afraid to show her feelings. With that thought, she moved close to him and rubbed her face against his shoulder. He looked surprised and then, blushing a little, kissed the top of her head. They were working together quite well and though not talking a lot, the atmosphere was friendly. As with medicine, Martin felt comfortable talking about food and the proper way to prepare it. Neither could look at the other one without remembering their earlier kiss. They were both hoping for a repeat, no, several repeats after their meal. The salads were made, bread sliced and the rest cooked to perfection. They filled their plates from the cooker and sat down to enjoy their meal. As before, there wasn't much talking but the silence wasn't uncomfortable. They both glanced at each other, Louisa's face glowed with happiness and Martin's face relaxed and contented.

When they were finished, Martin made coffee while Louisa cleared the table and got out the cheese and fruit cups. Martin had never tried that particular cheese before and was very pleased to find something new. And, he said it just might become his favorite cheese. She cleared off the table and felt his eyes glued to her bum. "Nice!" she thought. Her jeans did look good!

Trying to take his eyes off her, he looked down and noticed a piece of paper on the floor under his chair. He automatically picked it up and couldn't help but see what was written on the sheet. She heard him clear his throat and turned around to see him looking quizzically at her. She had started to protest him reading it but then said "I guess it's a good thing you saw it. Maybe it's a good starting point for us. Do you think it could be?" Then she remembered the condoms. His eyes were wide and staring at _that_ item on the list. She sputtered and blushed "I'm sorry! I don't mean to… Oh God!" and covered her face and collapsed on a chair.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter four

Martin looked at her with shy pleasure on his face and softly said her name. When she looked at him, he pulled his pack of condoms from his pocket and held them up with a smile just in the crinkles of his eyes. She gasped and started laughing in relief and her embarrassment faded to nothing. Martin didn't know where he got the courage to do it but he took her hand and pulled her onto his lap and whispered "I'm so glad you agree. Let's drink our coffee and start becoming friends. Alright."

"You don't want to sit on the couch?" she asked in surprise.

The tips of his ears turned red and, ducking his head, he answered "No. We need to go slow if we stand a chance of succeeding in having a rela…" Too shy to continue, he glanced up at her and took a gulp of hot coffee. "Blast! That's hot!"

She waited for him to stop sputtering and lifted his face up for a quick kiss, then moved over to the other chair. "Much as I hate to, I agree with you. I asked a few minutes ago if my list is a good starting place for our talks. Or do you want to jot down some of your ideas also?"

He continued to look down at his cup and she decided to do one of the things on her list – give him time. She sipped her coffee and waited patiently for his answer.

Martin's body was tense in anticipation of being rushed, or worse, being made fund for not answering immediately. When he glanced up and saw her waiting with no sign of impatience, his shoulders relaxed and he answered "Your list is good. We can modify it as we go if necessary. But I would like to have a copy of it for reference when I'm thinking about us." God forbid that she discover that he wanted to read it again and again to savor her estimation of "his qualities". He couldn't believe that this beautiful, intelligent woman could really feel this way about him. He could agree with some her opinions like honesty and knowledge but attractive? He had never felt attractive. He found it much easier to agree with his problems. No arguments there. He could even add a few more to the list.

"Sure." she answered. "My printer doubles as a copy machine. I'll go do it right now. Wait; is there a chance that Pauline will see it?"

He shuddered at that thought, knowing that if she did so, the news of it would feed the gossip mill for days. "Definitely not! I'll keep it upstairs. Before you copy it, let's go over it. We may add some things." He was still musing over the condoms and just sat there looking down at his cup.

Well, she knew she would have to take the lead. "I think we should number them in order of importance. I just jotted things down as I thought of them. Agree?"

Glancing up "Yes, very logical." and quickly looked back down again he cursed himself for being so unable to communicate with the woman that he was sure was the love of his life. Remembering his promise to himself that he would at least try to talk to her, he forced himself to look at her. Then seeing that beautiful face again with her expectant look made him forget what he was going to say. "Blast!" and set his cup down a little too forcefully on the table.

Bewildered, she asked "What's wrong? Did you burn yourself again? Need a glass of water?"

He mentally shook himself, looked at her, gathered his thoughts and said "I'm sorry that I find it so difficult to talk to you. Medicine – I can talk about all day long. But talking about feelings…relationships, things like that are hard."

She reached across the table and lightly squeezed his hand. "But we're not talking about feelings right now." Thinking for a moment, she came up with a way that might help him. "Could you look at this as a puzzle that takes logic to solve? Or maybe the process of elimination? Or maybe think that it's two other people that we're talking about. Friends that we're trying to help?" She could see that she had peaked his interest.

Resting his chin on his clasped hands, he said "Logical problem. I've always been good at logic. So…as I see it, the most important ones on the list are in the 3rd section. Trusting each other is definitely #1. Without trust, we can't be friends. Agree?"

She nods and waits for more.

"#2 – become friends. We should definitely trust each other with our feelings and be good friends before having a physical relationship. Much as I – ahem…" he found that he couldn't finish that thought, the tips of his ears red, he looked so uncomfortable that Louisa was afraid that he was going to bolt.

Time to be reassuring she thought and calmly finished his sentence "much as we desire each other, we should stick to the list. Is that what you're thinking?"

Relieved, he nodded and managed to look at her and say "Trust and friendship. Isn't that enough to start with? If we can accomplish those two things, a lot of the others will fall into

place."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter five

She nodded and asked "Now, I listed your faults. Don't you think you should have a list, too? I know I'm not perfect – far from it."

It's his turn to touch her hands but instead of just a light squeeze, he took them and held them, making circles on her palms with his thumbs. "But you already did that in the third section. And, I can see that you made a conscious effort tonight to be more patient and listen more. It's a great help to me to know that you're not going to get angry and storm away over something I said or didn't say. Or I say something wrong without knowing it. And now, please tell me how I hurt your feelings that morning in the cab. But, before you start, let me state emphatically, you do not normally have bad breath." He waited expectantly while she formulated her answer.

She started talking slowly "That morning, we had been up all night and I was so very, very proud of you and relieved that Peter was going to be ok. So I kissed you. I had some of that dreadful hospital coffee and took a nap on your shoulder. Very good reasons for not having the freshest of breath. Yours was a little odorous, too but I wasn't thinking about that. (he started and blinked at that revelation) I finally got to kiss you - you know that every time I see you, you take my breath away - (His ears turned bright red at that but he didn't look away. Progress!) and then you said what you said. It wasn't anything… special to you. I was hurt and embarrassed that all the passion seemed to be on my side and I felt rejected. So I reacted with anger. Normal reaction, I think."

He was so upset and shocked that she would be hurt and feel rejected. Rejected! Gawd! When all he wanted to do was be with her. All the time! This revelation freed him from shyness enough to reassure her, "Louisa, I'm so sorry. I had dreamed so many times that we kissed and when we finally did, it was glorious! When I said that about your breath, I was talking as a doctor. It's in the doctor mode that I'm most comfortable." He looked at her with such tender sincerity before lifting her hands to his mouth and kissed them.

Tears came into her eyes and she answered "It's ok now. I understand you more than I did then. I agree you go into 'doctor mode' when you're under any kind of stress and you had reason to be under stress that morning for sure!" They both took a moment to think about what had just been said and both felt that dangerous topic, at least, was finished. Hesitantly, Louisa brought up another sensitive topic "I have one more question and then no more tonight. What did you mean the other night when you said I smelled like pee? That really hurt me you know."

He sighed deeply, released her hands and rubbed his eyes before looking at her with resignation. "I know now that I hurt you. Again, I'm so sorry."

Then he went into a long medical explanation of pheromones and arousal and ingredients in perfume and menstrual cycles. By the time he finished, she couldn't have cared less why he said what he did because it wasn't meant to hurt or embarrass her. She just nodded and tried to look as if she understood everything he said because if she didn't, he might try to explain again! And anyway, based on her list, she should have "listened" to his body pressed against hers, the way his hands felt touching her and the expression on his face instead of his words. She was sure that she would never forget the way his face looked at that moment! But, if she hadn't ended their relationship, they wouldn't be at this point now. A case of good coming out of bad. When he finally finished, he looked at her quizzically and she nodded that she understood perfectly. "It's ok. I know that you weren't trying to hurt or embarrass me. I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions – again!" Then with a puzzled look "Should I stop wearing perfume? I don't want to smell like urine every time I have a period or get excited."

Appalled, he stammered "No…no. I love that smell on you. It was a gross exaggeration to say what I did! Please don't stop wearing it!"

Pleased with his answer and his passion while saying it, she teased a little "Maybe I should let Mrs. Tishell pick out something else for me. Or Pauline? Good idea?"

Looking at the incredulous look on his face, she let out a peal of joyous laughter and said gleefully "Got you!"

Realizing he had been had, he wagged his finger at her and promised "Pay back's a bitch you know. Consider yourself warned!"

She exclaimed "Martin, you made a joke!" and again laughed joyously.

He enjoyed her laughter and was especially pleased that he had caused a little of it. "This is a lot easier than I thought. Please, please don't let me bollux this up" he fervently prayed to whatever gods were available to help. They both regained their composure and sat looking at each other for a few minutes. He had that "look" that absolutely melted her heart and made her want to grab and drag him to the bedroom. It was odd to feel treasured and sexually aroused at the same time but she thought she could used to it.

Martin watched her face and her expression was tender and his eyes were definitely smiling. He found that he couldn't take his eyes off her.

Then Louisa said "You read in my list that I'm going to try my best to not get hurt or angry when you say things like that. Will you be ok with my pointing it out when you say something that hurts or embarrasses me and let me explain why it does?"

"Of course! Please believe me when I say that I will never consciously hurt or embarrass you. May I ask in return that you not do it in front of other people. And that you not apologize for me again. I will try my hardest to be more polite and congenial when I'm with you but you have to accept that I am who I am. I doubt that I will change very much even for you. Ok?" It occurred to him that he would normally be red faced and choking by now after talking so much. Definitely not used to expressing his thoughts that much or to that extent. But she still had the same look on her face. Thank God! He hadn't messed up again!

She knew how much it cost him to say what he said and appreciated his effort. In keeping with the promises made on her list and in total agreement, she exclaimed "Yes, yes! We both have some work to do but you are so worth it to me! Please be patient with me when I back slide. I'm a teacher you know and tend to boss and direct everyone. OK?" He nods, and she continues, " In line with this, what do you think about couple's counseling? Don't you think it would help us?"

He took some time to formulate his answer and was pleased that again, she waited patiently to hear what he had to say. Of course he didn't know the effort it was costing her to _be_ quiet and wait and keep that pleasant look on her face. Sometimes little secrets don't do any harm!

"I think it is a good idea except…" He looked so uncomfortable that she started to say that it wasn't important, that they could do it on their own. He held up a hand to stop her and almost whispered "I've never wanted someone to start digging around in my head. What if we start and then I can't do it? How will you react? I want this to work so much."

Now it's her turn to hesitate before speaking, "You know, I might not be comfortable with it either. Maybe we need to think about it some more. You certainly know more people in the medical field than I do. Is there anyone you trust enough to ask for suggestions? I mean a counselor that he could recommend?"

"Yes. You remember Chris Parsons?" She nods, "He's been my friend since med school and I certainly trust him. Give me some time and I'll ask him about it. Is that ok?"

She smiled and nodded. Another potentially dangerous topic dealt with.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

His face relaxed into a small smile but his eyes spoke clearly that he was very pleased with their conversation and its results.

She grew serious again and asked "I'm curious about you – your childhood, where you went to school – things like that. I'm in love with you and don't even know when your birthday is! Will you be angry or insulted if I want to know about you? Not out of vulgar curiosity or anything like that." She shrugged her shoulders and said apologetically "I just want to know about you."

He could see the anxiety on her face and wanted that smile back so he carefully answered "It will be a little hard at first. Not because I want to keep secrets from you. Just a lot of my memories aren't very pleasant and I don't like talking about them. Understand? And my birthday is August 27, 1969 so that makes me 45."

She nodded "I have unpleasant memories as well and I find it hard to talk about them. I hope that in time, we'll feel comfortable enough with each other that it won't be a problem or may not even be important anymore." She looked quizzically at him, "Don't you want to know when my birthday is? No, I'm getting ahead of myself. Do you have any more questions or things to discuss?"

He shook his head and looking a little guilty, he replied "No, not at this time." He looked down, up and around the room trying to summon the nerve to admit "I …er…already know your birthday. I…looked at your patient file. I know I had no medical reason to do so but I'm curious about you, too. It's June 6, 1979." Expecting her to be indignant, he waited, looking so like a guilty little boy that she grinned hugely, placed her chin on her hands and said "That's the sweetest and most romantic thing anyone's ever said to me! Thank you!"

Now he looked stunned and then the next second relieved. Still grinning, she stood up and pulled him to his feet and walked towards the lounge. "Ok since I promised to show my feelings, I feel right now like some snogging would do us both a world of good. I know, I know. We're not ready for anything more serious but will just a little time on the couch hurt? I think we've covered a lot of ground and made a lot of progress. Time for a reward?"

His answer was to sit down on the couch, pull her onto his lap and kiss her deeply with those sensuous lips of his and she melted into him.

He couldn't resist running his hands under her jumper to feel her soft skin. They both moaned softly and he slipped his hand under her bra to rub his thumb over her sensitive nipples. She could feel the evidence of his passion under her bottom and rubbed herself against him while returning his kiss and holding him tightly. Gasping, he pushed her gently away and stood up. Keeping his back to her, he opened the balcony door, went outside to suck fresh air into his heaving lungs and squeezed the railing hard to release some tension from his aroused body. When he felt in some control again, he went back into the lounge and they looked at each other in agreement that it was time to stop. He almost lost his resolve looking at her slightly swollen lips, eyes barely in focus and tousled hair, all due to his passion. Her bra was still pushed up and her nipples were clearly outlined through the material of her top.

His voice rough with restrained passion, he said "I think it's time for me to go home now. Agree?"

She held out her hands to him and regretfully nodded yes. "It's been a wonderful evening. I'm so glad we did this."

With arms around each other's waists, she walked him to the kitchen, got his coat and helped him put it on.

"Oh, blast! I didn't help you wash up! It won't take but a minute. Let's do it."

Too befuddled to argue, she nodded and they quickly washed up and put away the leftovers for her lunch the next day.

"Now, I've got to go. I have a full schedule tomorrow and you probably do too. Can you hand me my coat please"

This time when he put it on, he pulled her to him and she wrapped her arms around his waist under the coat and they just stood there, enjoying the smell and feel of each other's body. She raised her face for a good night kiss and received a _very_ good night kiss. A little shy and hesitant, he asked "Dinner tomorrow night?" Sensing his shyness, she gently rubbed his back, nodded and asked "Here again?"

"No, my place. How does chicken casserole sound?" he asked.

With a grin she answered "Good, but then again anything would. You decide. Good night and sleep well. And I love you so much!"

His expression soft, he answered "Well, I'll have some thoughts to keep me awake but I'll certainly try! And, I love you."

With that, he pulled the door open, gave her a small wave, that _look_ and left. He definitely had a spring in his step and a pleased look on his face. Nothing goes unseen in PortWenn so quite a few people wondered and talked about it that night at the pub. Doc would have been furious.

Louisa closed and locked the door then leaned against it with a pleased but not contented smile on her face. Lord, she was horny! She realized how long she had been standing there, shook herself, laughed and told herself to get a grip for crying out loud! She wasn't a silly teenager anymore. But, she couldn't stop smiling. She took the list upstairs with her to read again before turning out the light. She promised again to do the things listed in section 3 but the things in section one made her go to sleep with a smile on her lips.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter seven

Both of them slept like the proverbial logs and woke smiling and thinking about each other. She had a small hope that he might call just to say hello before they started their day. He wanted to hear her say again that she loved him but was too shy to make the call.

"What the heck! Read the list Louisa!" She put his number on speed dial and made the call. After a short conversation of "Good morning" and "Did you sleep well?", they both said the thing that each wanted to hear from the other "See you at 6:00 tonight and I love you".

Martin had his typical day of piles, ingrown toe nails, jelly beans up a nose and other maladies that affected the people – no – patients in his district. Time to re-order his thinking. They're patients!

Pauline watched and was surprised to see that he was actually, well, mellow! The dog Buddy sneaked in and he didn't yell for the "filthy animal" to get out. Just looked moderately disgusted and told Pauline to put it out. Bert was there sniffing around trying to find some news to gossip about. He noticed and looked quizzically at Pauline. She just raised her hands into the air and shook her head. He watched a little longer and decided to go in search of news. Somebody must know something!

Just before lunch, Pauline couldn't stand it anymore and blurted out, "Hey Doc, you ok?"

He looked mildly puzzled and actually answered her, "Yes, I'm doing well. Should I ask why you want to know?" Then he raised that eyebrow that she knew was a warning.

"No, no reason. You just look…are…" and the eyebrow went higher, "Uh, like I said, no reason. Forget I asked."

With a nod, he called out, "Next patient." and went to the surgery.

Bert had strolled around thinking and looking for news and notice a crowd around Mrs. Bathel who lived across the street from Louiser. She was bubbling over with the fact that she actually saw the Doc leaving Louiser's house _late_ last night. (It was 10:00. Hardly the witching hour!) What was he doing there so late? Did his clothes look rumpled? Did you see them do anything? No, but he was there really late last night and _he didn't have his medical bag_ so he certainly wasn't there as a doctor! Bert made up an excuse to visit the school to check up on Louisa. He was glad to report that she looked _very_ happy and sprightly. Well, bless their hearts. They finally got together. The rumors spread like wild fire throughout the village.

Martin walked to the meat market to buy fresh range chicken and then to the vegetable stand for the ingredients for the chicken casserole he planned on making. Then to the pharmacy for supplies and didn't even think to dread it. He finally started noticing the odd behavior of everyone he talked to and passed in the street. They smiled and nodded as he walked by. Chippy Miller actually gave him a thumbs up. What is this all about? It couldn't be…No, that is impossible! When he entered the pharmacy, Mrs. Tishell was angry and almost in tears.

He walked in and said as he normally did, "My order, please, Mrs. Tishell."

"Of _course_ Doctor Martin. I'm _surprised_ you have the _energy_ to walk such a long way after _last night_!" She was very much on her dignity and wanted to be scathing and put him in his place. How dare he? They had a special, unspoken bond!

Martin looked completely outraged and snapped at her, "Just my order please. Put it on the surgery account."

With one more snort, she slammed the box on the counter. He grabbed it and almost ran out the door with her screeching, "I'm surprised at you! We're professionals!"

"The village of the damned! Why must they continually meddle?"

The worst was yet to come. The pack of teenage girls who always knew the latest gossip on everyone and were the bane of the village residents walked quickly in his direction already laughing. He tried to outpace them and they walked faster. He completely lost his dignity and ran up the hill, his packages banging against his knees, toward the surgery. He could hear "Tosser!" "Did you have fun last night, tosser?" "Should we check Louiser for bruises?" "Or maybe we should check you!"

He stumbled up the steps to the landing and burst through the door, startling everyone in the room and hearing the laughter behind him. For just a moment, he heard the boys in his boarding school laughing at him for his big ears, his bed wetting, for being the smallest boy in the school. No, those memories were supposed to be buried! Aware of the faces staring at him, mouths agape, he straightened his shoulders, glared at everyone in the room, daring them to say even one word. Sure of their silence, he walked toward the surgery.

Pauline knew her boss and calmly offered to put away the groceries while he handled the supplies and even offered make some tea. He barely nodded in agreement and seethed at the knowledge that his privacy was violated and at being the village joke. Surely Louisa hadn't started this! Instead of going to the surgery, he abruptly headed up the stairs to be alone. His anger got the best of him and his hand was dialing her number. He was going to forcefully make her aware that even if she didn't value her privacy, he certainly valued his. Last night was special – just between them! How dare she!

Having lived in the village her whole life, Louisa wasn't surprised when people started making joking comments, winking at her and giving the thumbs up sign. She didn't acknowledge that anyone had reason to act the way they were and just smiled, gave meaningless jokes back, winked gave no answer to any remark or look.

Martin called her at 2:00 when she was overseeing a parent/teacher conference so she couldn't take his call. She called him back at 3:00 and he was in the middle of a pelvic exam so he couldn't take _her_ call. They missed each other twice more and he grew angrier each time. Finally, as she was leaving the school for the day, she got through to him.

They said each other's name at the same time, her voice soft and happy, his a growl.

"Martin, are you ok?"

"No, I'm not _ok_! Are you aware that we're the joke of the village? That everyone, and I mean everyone, knows that we had dinner together last night? And they think a lot more happened."

"And…?"

"What do you mean, and! You might not mind having your privacy invaded but I certainly do! Did you have anything to do with this? Did you have a "good" gossip today?", his voice clipped and angry.

She was silent for a moment, shocked that he would speak like this to her after their declarations last night. And accuse her of actually gossiping about it? Make a joke about it?

"Well? Aren't you going to answer me?"

"Give me a minute. This is quite a shock." She took time to organize her thoughts and could almost hear him snarling while he waited. Her voice a little shaky, she asked, "First, I have some questions for you. Do you really believe that I would do that? That I value 'us' so little? Think before you answer Martin. Do you want another row, another break up?"

He stopped pacing abruptly, feeling like he had been hit with a glass of cold water. His answer came out before he even thought about it. "No, of course I don't. No, I don't believe that."

Silence. "Louisa? Are you still there?"


	8. Chapter 8 doc

Chapter eight

"Yes."

His voice was still gruff and sour, "Do you still plan on coming for dinner?"

"It depends." She let the silence stretch. She could not let him treat her like a punching bag whenever something or someone upset him.

"Well! Have you suddenly lost the ability to speak? Or am I supposed to guess your answer? And depends on what?"

"On whether or not you continue to bleat about how mean everybody has been to you. I mean, _really_ , they dared to show interest in what we did together! Could anything worse happen to you?"

"Bleat! I am not bleating! I have every right to be angry with the fact that there is no privacy at all in this entire village of idiots!"

"You have a right to feel angry any time you want to. You do not, however, have a right to take it out on me! Is that understood?"

Now there was silence on his end. She parroted back to him, "Well! Have you suddenly lost the ability to speak? Or am I supposed to guess your answer?"

"I didn't realize that I was doing that." He felt guilty and uncomfortable and when he felt either of those emotions, he stepped into his "doctor mode", his place of comfort. "You know, Louisa, that anger can be brought on by many different things. It's actually caused by the body releasing…"

"Martin, don't you dare hide in your 'doctor mode'! I don't give a damn what causes anger, I just want to know the state of yours right now! Are you capable of having a pleasant evening with me or not?"

"Yes, I'm sure we can. Can you come now? I only have one more patient."

He waited, holding his breath, and she answered, "Yes, but I want to freshen up first. 45 minutes?"

"Yes, good." He unlocked a drawer in his desk, lifted out a little box and took out his copy of the list. He read it through again. (They both treasured that list and read it until it was so faded and worn that they were afraid to touch it. No matter, they had both memorized it.)

He took a deep breath, cursed himself roundly for how he had treated the woman he adored and vowed to make it up to her. _That ought to be fun_. He hadn't a clue how to "make it up" to anyone, much less Louisa. "Next patient."

Louisa made her way home trying to act normal. It was hard to keep ignoring the remarks made to her face and the whispers behind her back. A good idea would be to read the list when she got home just as a reminder of their promises to each other. By the time she read it twice, she felt ready to face Martin. She loved this man, warts and all, and didn't plan on walking away. Not this time. Not ever. But he had to understand that she would not be spoken to that way. How could he think for even a moment that she would betray his trust. Trust. The one thing on the list he put first. Looks like it wasn't going to come as easily as she thought. Well, she had already decided that he was worth fighting for so she would fight. And be patient. But, never again would he be allowed to talk to her in such an accusing way. He had to earn her trust too. That settled, she showered, shaved, lotioned, primped, perfumed and then dressed in a pair of tailored pants and a red, soft as a kitten's fur, jumper that clung deliciously to her figure. Then her good earrings and the cutest sandals she had. The pants she chose were classy looking but still accented the curve of her bum in the most satisfactory way. She had an idea of something she could contribute to their meal that she was fairly confident he wouldn't think of. Fresh flowers for the table. Humming a little, she started up the hill, stopping briefly to buy the flowers.

Stella, who was running the cash register, said with a sly wink, "You're lookin' good tonight. Plan on having a good – no- I mean a _memorable_ evenin' Louiser? Are these a bribe?"

Louisa calmly answered, "It's a beautiful evening for a walk along the coast. Think I'll do that. See you later."

Martin told Pauline to close the clinic early and take the rest of the evening off. Her face was a little worried and, seeing it, he said that she would be paid for the whole day.

Beaming, she said "Thanks Doc. You're the best!" When she left for the day, she stuck her head back into the room and said with a sweet smile "And have a wonderful evening! Hello, Louiser. Nice to see you." waved and walked down the hill.

Martin walked quickly to the door and just stood there looking at Louisa. She stood quietly and, her expression blank, looked back at him. She was learning to read that stoic face of his and she could tell the emotions swirling around in his head. He knew he should apologize but he had never been good at that. Guilt over the way he acted and afraid he would mess up again. Worry that she was still angry. Then he looked at all of her. She almost laughed out loud when his eyes widened just a little bit and his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard.

It was hard to keep a straight face.

It was her turn to ask, "Aren't you going to speak to me?"

He gulped and said something that sounded like "HullI'muerwouluhpleascmin." And stood to the side indicating that she was to enter.

She handed the flowers to him and, in typical Martin fashion, he asked, "What are those for?"

"Well, Martin, they're a gift from me to you and are meant to go on the table. Don't you want them?"

"Er, well, yeah I guess. Uh, thank you." and promptly handed them back to her.

They stood there silently each waiting for the other to speak. The list started running through her mind, "Remember the list. Remember the list. I know I have to make the first move."

"Are you happy to see me Martin? Or should we just reschedule for another day" and looked straight into his eyes so that he could see that she had nothing to hide.

"Yes and no. In that order. I think it would be a good idea for us to spend the evening together. There are studies that prove"

"Stop it Martin! No doctor mode, no studies. Just an evening spent enjoying a meal together and a little conversation. No need to make it more than that."

He nodded and agreed, "Er, yes, that's right. Please come into the kitchen with me while I cook." He looked so apprehensive and his fingers were twitching.

Ok, that's enough. Her face relaxed into a sweet smile and, "What say we start again. Neither of us is angry, everything is ok. Hello, my love. It's so good to see you."

His whole body sagged for a moment, then he pulled her close, wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her head. "It's good to see you too. I…er…uh…messed up."

She pulled back just enough to look up at him and with a mischievous smile, "Yes sir, you totally did!" She pulled his head down and gave him a teasing little kiss and nibbled his lower lip.

He swallowed hard again and keeping one arm around her, led her toward the kitchen. "I hope you don't get bored just watching me cook."

"Oh no, I thought I would get to help. I really want to learn to cook at least a little. If you have an apron that is. You haven't noticed but this is my best top – worn in your honor." The last said with that teasing smile of hers.

She could say just about anything to him as long as she smiled like that! He cleared his throat a couple of times, fidgeted with the buttons on his coat and finally mumbled, "Your top is…er…satisfactory. Oh, and thank you for the flowers. They're also satisfactory."

She thought "Boy, I'm in the big time now. Two satisfactories in one night!" She tipped her head in acknowledgement, made a mock curtsey and said, "Now about that apron."

As they had the previous night, they worked well together. He was an excellent teacher and had a willing student. No ers, um-m-s or mumbling. He spoke clearly with hands on instructions. The frequent silences weren't uncomfortable. Once she playfully bumped his hip with hers and, while she was standing in front of the sink washing the cherries, he lifted the pot he was going to fill with water over her head and circled her with his arms. That was so nice! She leaned back against him and raised her head. He took the opportunity to grab a quick kiss and that was nice, too. The casserole smelled heavenly! It had lots of vegetables so for a side dish, he made fresh apple sauce. Finally, they filled their plates and sat down to eat.

"Oh my, this is delicious! I've never seen a crust made with whole wheat flour. And it's so flaky. Thank you for doing this for me. You're such an incredible cook."

As usual, he was embarrassed when complimented so he just mumbled something about a lot of practice to make it right.

She looked seriously at him and said "You know Martin, I meant when I said you're a remarkable man. I feel like I didn't do you justice on the list of your qualities. I am so proud that you love me. That's the greatest compliment you could ever give me."

He looked so startled when he heard that and blushed scarlet and looked everywhere but at her. His poor ears looked like they were going to burst into flames. "No, uh, you shouldn't, I …er…have to eat so cooking well just makes sense."

She listened to him and thought for a moment. Then she stood up and walked around the table. "Could you turn toward me, please? Ok, now I want you to listen to me. I meant every word I said just now. I know this is corny, but you make my heart sing. I _am_ proud and I love you with all my heart." Then she stroked those poor ears and softly kissed each one. He leaned his head against her and had no words. "Now, how about those cherries. They're my favorite fruit. No cheese, thank you. Don't want to spoil the flavor."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter nine

They worked together to clean up the kitchen. Even something as mundane as that was good. She could sense that he was opening up inside. He would never be very good at small talk but that's ok. He says what he needs to say. "Just don't mess it up! Don't push. Listen to his body when he's not talking. Remember the list!" she thought.

He was having thoughts too. "She says she loves me. How could she? Like Roger said, I'm a miserable bugger. Except when I'm with her. She doesn't only make my heart sing, she lights it up. Watch what you say. She's so lovely!"

They walked to the lounge together and she sat down on the couch. To her dismay, he sat well away from her and started fidgeting with some journals on the table by his side. He did take off that infernal jacket. "I don't know what to do to entertain you. Do you want to watch the television? All my magazines are medical journals."

He was nervous, he was fidgeting and looked almost miserable. But, his eyes flickered to her

often like he couldn't keep them off her. Ok, let's try this.

"One thing about you is that you're totally honest. Ok, I'm going to totally honest with you. I want to talk a little. Anything you ask me I'll give an honest answer. Go ahead."

"This is something that baffles me every time I think about it. I feel that I know everything about you that's important but I don't understand your attachment to this village of the damned. Especially to Bert! Bert of all people! With your ability and skills, you could get a job anywhere. In London or…well, anywhere making a lot more money and the prestige that goes along with it."

Her body stiffened a little at the slur against the village but, _remember the list_ , he seems to really hate it here. She answered simply, "It's my home. These people are my family."

"But why?! A lot of them act like they're allergic to basic hygiene. They don't listen to medical advice. They gossip about _everything_! I don't understand you."

"So you're telling me that there's no one in this whole village that you like or even respect. No one?"

He could tell she had tensed up. She had just said that this was her home and the people were her family. You just insulted her and the whole village! Got to do better than that! He sat and thought and she was careful to not appear impatient. "There's you obviously. And, believe it or not, I respect Mrs. Tishell. She's the most annoying person in the world but she knows her job. Very knowledgeable. I like and respect Al. He wants to improve himself and I admire that in anyone. Peter Cronk and his Mother are very special people. Usually people as smart as he is can be total arses. But he's not. The men who trained for rescue boat duty appear rough but they're all well trained and dedicated to their jobs. Very brave, too. And Roger Fenn is an intelligent man that I can easily have a conversation with. Shall I go on?"

"No, that's a good start. But I hope you realize how many people here respect you and are willing to be your friends. Not up to London standards maybe, but good and honest people. I don't want to bring up a sore subject but all that stuff this afternoon? They're happy for us and were trying to show you. That's all."

He made a face at that but didn't argue. "But you still haven't told me why your attachment is so strong."

She sat quietly, hands folded. As bad as he was at reading body language, he could see how uncomfortable she was. "If you'd rather not talk about it.."

"No, I said I'd answer you. First, have you never wondered where my parents are?" He shook his head no and she continued, "My mother and father were never happy together. I think they only married because she got pregnant with me. All I can remember is the fighting. When Dad managed to get a job, his earnings always went to his gambling, his next sure thing. When the sure thing didn't happen, then the pub got what little money was left. Mom worked here and there. Her jobs didn't last long. Money seemed to disappear when she was around. When I was six, she left. With a good looking, smooth talking Spaniard. I _hated_ him. Dad tried to straighten up but, before long, his sure thing landed him in prison for fraud. So, I was left in a house with no electricity or food. I had just turned seven. Bert came and got me. I was crying, cold and hungry. He wrapped me in his coat and carried me to his house. He was a lot skinnier then and quite handsome. You've know that his wife died? Well, that was Mary. She fed me hot soup and milk, gave me a bath (I'm quite sure that I wasn't very clean!) cut off one of her gowns for me to sleep in and put me to bed. They were so kind! Mary must have put out a call because the next day, clothes showed up for me to wear. Your Aunt Joan and Mrs. Fharrot made sure that I had school uniforms. There were no remarks, no pity from anyone. I was part of the village and we take care of our own. Bert and Mary raised me. The village helped support me. When I needed something for school or an outside activity, it appeared. When Al was born, he was like my baby brother. I was his first and only baby sitter. By the way, when Dad got out of prison, he didn't come back here. Just left me to whatever. And I got one letter from my Mum when I was about six-teen. The village made sure I made it to university. Everybody knew I wanted to be a teacher. So as soon as an opening came up, I applied and have been there ever since. I owe this village everything I can give it. Do you understand a little now?"

He sat quietly and gave her his whole attention. When she finished, he nodded his head. "Yes, I understand. My parents were rubbish, too. but that's for another night. Hopefully in the far, far distant future. Would you like a cup of tea or maybe some coffee?"

She looked at him and slowly shook her head.

"Television? I wish I had some books to offer you."

Again, that shake of her head. He was beginning to tense up, not sure what he was supposed to do when she decided to show him. She got up, kicked off her shoes and politely straddled his lap. "May I show you what I have in mind?"

He caught on and, for once in his life, went with the flow. His voice was warm and husky, "Yes, but I'm a slow learner and will probably need repeat lessons." His hands went under her shirt to stroke that smooth skin. Her smell was intoxicating! What is that smell?

"Good thing I'm a teacher. I can do repeat lessons all day long." She smoothed his hair, stroked his ears and neck and then started giving him little butterfly kisses everywhere but his mouth. He moved his head trying to catch her lips but she just moved a little further. Her hands were busy with his tie and then the buttons of his shirt. She worked the shirt off his shoulders, "Your skin is so warm…and smooth." Little nipping kisses followed her words. He groaned and reached for her head and brought her mouth to his. They kissed deeply, teeth lightly scraping and tongues dancing. He couldn't get to her properly so he lifted her to lay her across his lap and partly resting against the side of the couch. Now his hands could explore, touch and tease. Her bra was loosened and pushed up away from her breasts. He paused to just look at their perfection. Then his lips started exploring along with his hands. She moaned and arched her back pushing her bottom into his lap. Feeling his excitement increased her desire to a fever pitch. "Martin. Oh my God! Martin!" Hearing the passion in her words started pushing him over the edge. "Are you ready for this? Are you sure?" He could barely get the words out. She was beyond making a coherent sentence so she just moaned and nodded yes. He lifted her off his lap, stood and led her to the stairs. They walked up side by side, their hands busy and clothes coming off and dropping carelessly on the steps. When they finally made it to the bedroom, they stood pressed tightly against each other, kissing deeply. When they were finally naked, they both stared like they were memorizing every inch and freckle. He picked her up and laid her on his bed. Grabbing a condom and putting it on was just a second's delay.

Now they are ready and need their privacy. Let's give it to them. I will tell one secret – Martin excelled himself in the bed. Which means that Louisa did, too. Which means that both will be ready for repeats as often as possible. Good night.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

 **I forgot to say that Doc Martin belongs to Buffalo Pictures. I just have fun playing with the characters.**

The next chapters explore how Louisa tries to develop her relationship with this complex man. He couldn't have everything his way all the time but getting him to see that would take careful and thoughtful handling. Could she do it?

The next morning, Louisa woke up to an empty bed, disoriented for a moment. Then she remembered, stretched hugely and had a smile of contentment on her face. Who knew? Martin was the lover of any woman's dreams – considerate, knowledgeable, thorough and so passionate! And the way those full lips could kiss! The bedroom was one place where his inhibitions flew out the window along with his modesty. They explored and tasted lips and flesh before they reached utter fulfillment – actually more than once. She could hear him in the shower and made plans to lure him back into bed for one last thrill before they got up to face the day. She ran downstairs, grabbed her purse where she had packed her toothbrush, paste and clean undies then visited the office loo. Then ran back upstairs and jumped into the bed and assumed what she hoped was an alluring pose. Being naked should be enough but just in case…

Some women pursue doctors because of the money they make and their stature. Martin was famous, well respected by his peers and quite wealthy, and though he wouldn't believe it if anyone told him, fitted the tall and distinguished requirement. And he was rumored to be a very good lover, so more than a few women tried to attract him. If someone met his meticulous requirements, he would take what was freely offered. It took some effort to convince them that there was no relationship, just sexual need. After that was satisfied, he walked away. Maybe cold and indifferent, he was always honest.

He finished in the loo, clean and smooth shaven and thought again about his plans to extend the pleasures of last night by waking her up with caresses on that warm oh so smooth silky skin. Damn the pheromones, she just smelled so good! He quietly opened the door and stepped into the bedroom and saw her. One glance was enough and he couldn't get back into the bed quickly enough! She was the perfect lover - receptive, adventurous and passionate.

When they eventually made it downstairs, him in pajama bottoms and grey tee shirt her in another one which he thought had never looked so good! They were both starved from their activities. He made omelets, the usually forbidden bacon and toast. It was the best very late breakfast either had ever had.

He didn't smile and certainly didn't talk much but his face! She looked at his face. It was relaxed and his eyes were tender when he looked at her which was often. She matched his behavior and kept her comments to the minimum. Ok, he didn't like breakfast conversation. Noted.

While they were cleaning up their dishes, he asked what she was going to do for the rest of the day. She had expected to spend it with him but he evidently thought otherwise. What to do?

"Well, I thought about taking a drive somewhere up the coast this afternoon. The views are magnificent and I know a couple of good restaurants. Would you like to come with me or do you have other plans for supper?"

His lack of confidence out of the bedroom was palpable. Spending the day with her was exactly what he wanted to do. He stared at her face, honestly surprised that she wanted to spend more time with him. "Yes, that would be agreeable. Let me drive though since my car is roomier. What kind of restaurants are they?"

"Mainly fresh seafood. One makes it a point to, whenever possible, serve local produce and offers healthy menu choices. They have a grade A rating, too so I really like to eat there." Did she know her man or what? Healthy, seafood, local vegetables and grade A. She hit all the right buttons.

"That sounds safisfactory! I have some paperwork that I really must finish. I'll do that and then pick you up. 3:00? Is that agreeable?"

And the date was set.

She made her face up lightly and wore her amethyst necklace and matching earrings. She dressed in a soft, filmy outfit that swirled about her legs when she walked. It shimmered between blue, green and purple so you were never sure what color it actually was. A pair of matching sandals and she was ready.

If it had occurred to him to compliment her, he would have said that she looked satisfactory but his expression said she looked beautiful. Her smile was brilliant as she silently thanked him. In his usual elegant suit, he made an excellent companion and she didn't hesitate to tell him so. "You look wonderful Martin. Is that a new suit? I don't think I've seen it before."

He blushed at receiving the compliment and answered her "Er…hm-m…well, you probably haven't. PortWenn seems determined to ruin all my clothes and shoes so I've learned to keep a couple in reserve for occasions like this."

They drove through the village with several people smiling and waving at them. Again, Chippy Miller gave Martin a thumbs-up. "Humph! Mumble, mumble their own mumble ness!"

"What was that? I didn't quite catch what you said." She definitely had a knowing look in her eyes and he snorted in answer. She laughed in pleasure with the day and at her grumpy companion.

They drove in silence for a while and he remembered a question that he had for her. "Last night when you were telling me about your life in the village, you said something that confused me. You said the village raised you. What happened to the council? How did Bert and Mary keep the fact that you were basically an orphan a secret? How did they handle your medical records?"

"Oh, sorry. I left that part out. Bert was completely open and above board about why I was living with them. They got my Dad to sign papers giving the council authority to make Bert and Mary my legal guardians until I was eighteen. I know Bert can be a little dodgy at times, but never with me or my well-fare. That clear everything up for you?"

"Yes. It makes me think better of Bert. Thank god you had him. And his wife. I shudder to think of what could have happened to you."

"Yes. He's such a softy. You have no idea how many people he gives a meal to who wouldn't eat otherwise. Fisherman who've had hard times, hikers who are out of funds for one reason or another, children like Pauline whose parents were worse than mine in a way. I sometimes don't think her mother is capable of love and practically threw her out way before she was old enough to be on her own. Bert made sure she always had a place to stay, food to eat and made it to school every day. I'm sure Joan helped out, too."

"Hm-m-m." And silence reigned until they reached their destination.

They walked into the restaurant and he realized that he had never enjoyed walking behind a woman so much. They were shown to a quiet table looking out over the ocean and given menus. Louisa ordered a glass of the house white wine and Martin his usual water.

"Do you like the menu selections?" she asked a little nervously.

"Yes, very satisfactory. The fresh grilled salmon with just a simple citrus glaze is very tempting." He motioned for their waiter and asked "Are all your vegetable choices bought locally?"

"Yes, sir. From a farmer who grows certified organic produce. I think by the name of Norton. We can cook them to your specifications of course."

Martin nodded his head and went back to reading the menu.

She chuckled a little and said "Well, we can be sure that they will have a familiar taste! If I have time to cook a meal with fresh veggies, I make sure they come from Joan."

"Another mark in favor of this restaurant. I'm choosing the salmon, asparagus cooked in a little olive oil and garlic and roasted new potatoes. What's your choice?"

"I trust your taste so I'll have the same."

They ate mostly in silence, not that she didn't have anything to say. They were too busy eating to talk. They finished and after the waiter cleared the table, she asked for the dessert menu.

He looked disapproving and said "You know, Louisa, that the consumption of sugar and fat laden calories does the body no good. You would be much better served if you chose fresh fruit with a little cheese." He said entering his doctor mode.

"Thank you Martin but dessert sometimes is good for the soul." She could tell he was ready to lecture on the subject so she raised a hand to stop him, "How about this, I won't try to talk you _into_ eating dessert if you won't try to talk me _out_ of eating dessert. Deal?"

"Humph! As long as you don't over indulge."

"Do I _look_ like I over indulge?" He blushed and shook his head no. As a concession, she offered "I won't have clotted cream in my after dinner coffee. Acceptable?"

He looked at her suspiciously and said "But, you never take cream in your coffee! What kind of a compromise is that?"

She grinned and looked at him from under her lashes and said "Oops!"

They took advantage of the deck just up the path from the restaurant to watch a full moon rise over the ocean. After checking that they were alone, he pulled her close for a sweet kiss and whispered "Thank you for this. It's been…ah, quite satisfactory."

She kissed his again and whispered back "And it's not over you know. I hope the rest of the night is ah…quite satisfactory, too!"

Needless to say, the drive home wasn't leisurely and the night was more than satisfactory.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Martin and Louisa had been spending just about every night together. If he was on call, they stayed at the surgery. If not, at her house. The villagers didn't particularly care if he was on call or not if one of them needed him and knocked on the surgery door at all hours of the night. But if he stayed at Louisa's and turned his phone off, they could spend their time together uninterrupted.

She loved Martin with her whole heart and soul but, since she was a very social person, she began to miss going out and seeing her friends. So she told him that friends of hers had invited them out for an evening in Truro. "I went to university with both of them and we've remained close friends ever since. He's a head teacher like me except at a much bigger school and she's a physical therapist. Very nice people, intelligent and easy to be around. I think you would enjoy meeting them. Since you're not on call, how about for dinner this week-end and then attend the concert in the park? The weather forecast looks good." She waited expectantly for his answer. This was an important test in their relationship. Would he make any effort to be more congenial and meet her friends or was what they had enough for him? For her it wasn't.

He continued flipping pages in a journal he was reading, frowned a little and said "I thought we were just having dinner and a quiet week-end together as usual. What's wrong with that?"

"Martin." She waited for him to look at her and continued "I would like for you to meet some of my friends. They know about us and are eager to meet you. I don't expect us to go out every weekend but sometimes it would be nice. So, yes or no? Oh, and one stipulation, don't say yes if you feel certain that you won't enjoy it and will stand around in a grump all evening."

He studied her expectant face and replied "Yes, we can do that. I can't promise to carry on endless conversations, especially if I have nothing to say, but I'm willing to try it."

"Thank you. I appreciate your trying. I'll call them and confirm the plans." Then, while being careful to not imply gratitude or giving an award for his cooperation, she was very loving and adventurous that night. He was exhausted but satisfied the next morning.

She looked forward to their date and he worried about it. He felt he was so inept and uncomfortable in social situations that it just couldn't go well. She had faith in her friends' intelligence and knowledge of a variety of subjects that there had to be things that all of them could talk about.

Louisa planned her outfit carefully. He had told her that he thought the dress she wore to the restaurant after their first night together was her most flattering so she wore it but with heels this time. She took unusual care with her makeup and fixed her hair in a clever twist that rested on the nape of her neck and thought she looked very well. Martin picked her up Saturday afternoon and when she opened the door, he gulped, looked her up and down and cleared his throat loudly "You look…satisfactory. Won't you require a cardigan or light jacket? It might be too cool tonight for just that dress."

"I have one right here. And may I say that you look especially smart tonight. That's my favorite tie." Smiling happily, she walked to the car and slid in the seat after he opened the door for her. He had just the best manners!

When they were safely on their way and out of view of the village, she leaned over and kissed his cheek. Her friends had chosen a Greek restaurant that supposedly served authentic dishes. "I want to try Moussaka and a soup called Kotosuppa. I've read about so many dishes but haven't had the opportunity to try them. Do you care for Greek food?"

"Yes, I do. There is a particularly good restaurant in London run by a Greek family that I frequented quite often. My choice of soup was usually Hortasoupa. It's a vegetable soup with a rich flavor. I usually got a dish made with eggplant for the main course. Usually Moussaka. I can highly recommend it."

"I've heard of a dish called Kleftiko made with lamb." Giggling a little "How bad do you think I'm butchering the pronunciation of these words! Oh well, if they offer it, that's what I'll have. Or not. Silly to choose something before you've even seen a menu."

"I agree but it's pleasant to think about it." and gave her a rare smile, reached for her hand and, raising it to his lips, kissed it lightly. "And by the way, you _are_ butchering the words." His reward for that honest statement was to see her stick out her tongue and cross her eyes at him.

Almost laughing at her ridiculous behavior, he tried to look serious as he asked her about the concert. She told him what she knew. "I don't think we'll have to sit on the ground because, if I remember correctly, there are benches available. The music will be a mixture of some classical, light jazz and pop music." With a sly smile, "And I promise to not drag you into the bushes for a kiss tonight because I might get excited and smell funny again."

He knew he was being had so instead of apologizing again for when he said she smelled like urine, he replied with a sly smile of his own "How about if I drag _you_ into the bushes? What do you think I will smell like?"

Laughing because she was just so happy, "Heaven maybe? You always smell so good, especially when we're 'in congress'."

He blushed and his ears were fiery red. Poor man, he just couldn't take a compliment. She stroked the ear she could reach, then kissed her finger and slid it around the ear. "Silly man. Get used to compliments because you are the most wonderful person I've ever met in spite of your 'little' ways and I love you so much."

Driving through a charming countryside on a beautiful day with the woman he loved was the most wonderful time he could ever remember having.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

A month has passed since their evening in Truro. Martin thought it had gone reasonably well. The restaurant was excellent, the park clean and spacious and the music was not at all disagreeable. He wasn't much into pop or jazz but the selections were well done. He quite liked Louisa's friends – Mark and Brenda Thresher. They didn't talk incessantly or expect him to either. Their conversations were interesting. Mark and Louisa told amusing stories about the children in their care and also about what they wanted to do if they could just get more funding. He nodded in approval as they talked. Good, constructive ideas. Brenda worked with wounded military veterans and was glad to talk to someone who was interested and knowledgeable about her field. He only lost his temper one time and felt entirely justified in doing so.

Louisa thought that, on the whole, the evening had gone well, too. Except when Martin lost his temper. That wasn't as bad as she thought it could have been. After all, she had experienced his biting comments to people in the village more than once. And, he was justified in what he said even if it was a little harsh. They had just been seated in the restaurant when an extremely obese woman lumbered behind their table carrying a take-out box of leftovers. She complained loudly about the portions being too small, the poor service and the prices. Louisa could tell that Martin was getting tense and touched his arm in an effort to calm him down. Then the woman struck the back of Louisa's head with the box of food and shoved her chair violently forward with her oversized belly. Martin immediately jumped to his feet and said in a loud and commanding voice "Madam! Would you please lower your voice! A woman as over weight as you are should be grateful for small portions! And, let me give you a clue. Make sure that you have room to _squeeze_ that body of yours through any opening before you attempt to do so!" The woman turned bright red and with spittle flying out of her mouth started to berate him with unacceptable language. Louisa reached for his arm, shaking her head no and looked beseechingly at him to please sit back down. The manager rushed over, apologizing to everyone, took the woman's arm and escorted her out the door. Her companion followed meekly, shoulders drooping as much as his mustache, and sort of waved at Louisa in apology. Martin checked the back of her head, helped adjust her chair and finally sat back down with a "Moron!" uttered softly under his breath.

Mark sat with his mouth slightly open and Brenda choked with laughter. "Well done! I so wish I had the nerve to do that to people like her." She kicked Mark under the table and he cleared his throat before uttering "Yes. Well done. Well done."

Louisa looked at Brenda choking back laughter and burst into laughter herself. "Thank you Martin. She certainly needed a telling off and you're so good at doing it!"

The manager came to their table ready to give a free appetizer, free dessert, anything to appease his customers. Never had his restaurant experienced something like that! He was relieved to see the two women laughing but still eager to make things right with such distinguished people. Louisa and Brenda assured him that all was well. And could they try a little ouzo? They ended up ordering different things and sharing them so that they could fully experience their first foray into Greek food. Except Martin of course – he was their guide and offered expert advice as to what to order. They thoroughly enjoyed themselves and promised each other that they would do it again.

Louisa said that she was covered up with work so they were apart for two nights. He found he couldn't sleep without her warm, soft body by his side. She ended up tossing and turning and wishing his warm, solid body was next to hers.

She rushed into the back door of the surgery excited to share some good news with Martin. "I've been invited to a wedding. He was one of my professors at uni and we've kept in touch ever since. He's such a good friend and I'm so happy for him." She chatted on and he watched her, enjoying just looking at her beautiful face. "You know his first wife died after a protracted battle with breast cancer and he's been so lonely. Such wonderful news! I have to go on a shopping trip for a new outfit. Want to go to Truro with me Saturday to see what I can find? Then lunch somewhere? Oh, I forgot; you're on call. Never mind. I'll go by myself. The wedding is on -. That's in three weeks. Can you make sure that you're not on call." She said coquettishly "I'll need a handsome escort you know." Then remembering that she hadn't even said hello, hugged and kissed him. "Hello handsome!"

He missed the escort bit and the "handsome" hint. "Where will the wedding be?"

"London. So exciting! We'll have to stay overnight and we've been invited to have dinner with the wedding party the night before. The restaurant seems pretty swanky. I guess I can wear my black dress to that. It's dressy enough don't you think?"

He had a blank look on his face "London overnight? I'm not going. I don't even know him!"

"Oh, I thought you'd like to be my escort. It should be a fun weekend."

"Fun? Why would it be _fun_ for me to go to a wedding with people I don't know? Sorry, but I'll opt out of this trip."

She was quiet for the rest of the evening. He assumed that she was tired and suggested an early night.

The next day was Saturday and she made an excuse to go back to her cottage instead of staying at the surgery and preparing lunch while he saw patients. She had some thinking to do. "Ok, I know that he doesn't like to be around a lot of people, especially strangers. If I love him, then I shouldn't try to force him into situations where he'll be uncomfortable. I'm used to going to places alone. I don't _have_ to have an escort." In the back her mind she was thinking that if he loved her, he would be willing to go. "No! I won't think that way. He wouldn't be upset if I refused to do something that made me uncomfortable. I'll grant him the same courtesy." And she did her weekend chores with a heart that was a little heavy.

He didn't give the wedding another thought. When all the patients were gone, he called her about dinner. She told him that she was cleaning the cottage, doing laundry and catching up on paperwork so wouldn't come back to the surgery. She realized she was making excuses but really needed more time to come to terms with this disappointment.

Sunday she tried to act normal and, since he was clueless about reading other people's moods, he didn't notice anything different except that she was quieter than usual. Probably tired from all her work yesterday. He wanted to care for her and make her rest. He refused all her attempts to help prepare their meals and to help clean up. He had her rest on the sofa or on a kitchen chair with a glass of wine while he worked. "Martin, I'm fine, really. I want to help. Please?"

"It's not necessary. You must be exhausted from all that you did yesterday. I'm happy to do this for you. Please, just sit and relax."

Now, she felt guilty for any hard feelings that she had felt. He was so good to her. "Hang the wedding. I'll just go and have a good time. I do love that clueless man!"

A few days later they were on the way to the market to purchase things for their dinner when she ran into an old friend. "Danny! What are you doing here? How long are you staying?" And embraced him, smiling and obviously happy to see him "Martin, this is Danny Lewis, one of my oldest friends. Danny, this is Doctor Martin Ellingham, our gp."

Martin looked at this stranger that she was _embracing_! He was very handsome. Even a man could see that. And his ears were a normal size. He felt gauche and overly tall all of a sudden. And something else that he couldn't identify. He raced to his comfortable place and started evaluating this stranger's medical condition. "Damn it! He's the picture of health!"

Danny held out his hand with a picture perfect smile on his face and shook hands like they were old friends. "I'm just here spending time with Mum. As a matter of fact, I'll be here for the summer. Maybe we can get together some time." He included Martin in the invitation but Martin just scowled in his usual fashion and grunted.

"All summer? Wonderful! Martin, can you excuse us for a little while? I want to catch up with Danny." She turned to Danny "And, I have a favor to ask of you. Can we go to the pub for a little while and I'll buy you a pint?" Of course he agreed. He'd forgotten just how lovely she was and started making plans that involved her for the holidays.

"Yes. When will you be at the surgery?"

"Hum-m-m, I think I'll have dinner with Danny and see you in the morning for breakfast. Bye." Since Martin didn't approve of public displays of affection, all he got from Louisa was a wave and "Later!"

The pronounced scowl on his face made everyone give him a wide berth and he was waited on quickly and quietly. He stomped up the hill and into the kitchen and spent an uncomfortable night picturing Louisa with that _Danny_. "Damn him!"


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Louisa couldn't believe her luck. She and Danny had gone to school together, known each other all their lives. Even thought they were in love at one time. It was so good to see him again.

They made their way to the pub being stopped every ten feet by people who wanted to say hello to an old friend. It was fun to talk to people and laugh with them about old times. Finally, they were seated at the bar and had their pints. They talked and reminisced until closing. Louisa was a little tipsy, and after saying good night at her door, went in and fell asleep on her couch still fully clothed. And, she had an escort to the wedding.

She woke with a headache and in need of a hot shower and coffee. Aspirin for the headache, a shower and then to Martin for a cup of coffee. He had been up since before the crack of dawn, pacing the floor, trying to read, making sure that his bag was stocked properly. Anything to pass the time until Louisa arrived. Finally she walked through the door without even a hello, much less a kiss.

"Coffee please. I really need a cup."

"You look tired. How late were you up last night?"

"Well, the pub closes at 12:00 so about 12:30. I drank a little too much."

"I hope you enjoyed yourself." It definitely didn't sound like a sincere wish but she was too knackered to hear it.

"Thanks, I did. We've known each other all our lives. He's an architect now and doing very well. Did something for the Olympics I think."

"Did he say he'll be here all summer?"

"Yes. He'll be commuting back and forth to London a few times but mostly he'll be here. We're going to Truro Tuesday night so I can look for a dress for the wedding and then have dinner somewhere. He's agreed to be my escort to the wedding so he might have to buy a new suit."

Martin felt like someone had punched him hard in the stomach. "They're going to Truro together? Then overnight in London? Together? How could she? I need time to process this."

He quietly prepared porridge for them and made another cup of coffee for her. She perked up and started telling him all about _Danny_ and what he had been doing. Made it sound so damned exciting! He would be happy if he never heard the name again! "London! Overnight! Together! Shit!"

She was too busy telling Martin all about Danny so she didn't notice how quiet he was or the growing scowl on his face. Most of his responses were Hum-m or a snort.

She went to the Leisure Center four or five times a week early in the morning to swim. That was how she kept fit. She had invited Martin several times to go with her. There were all kinds of exercise machines – he didn't have to swim. Every time he turned her down. He had a machine that worked every part of his body and he walked a lot. That was his exercise.

Again, they met Danny. They were walking from the surgery to her cottage and he came up to them to say hello. "Say Louisa, do you still swim in the mornings? If so, I'd like to join you. Think you can still beat me at free style?"

So Martin had to watch again as Louisa and _Danny_ made plans to be together. "Were you on a team or something with him? What were you talking about – can you still beat him?"

"Yes, we both swam for the team when the village had one. And, I beat him regularly. That's really the only sport I can do. I don't even run that well. I'm starving! Let's hurry up and cook dinner. I'll do the cooking tonight to show you how much I've learned. You are the best teacher!"

He was picturing her in a swimsuit and with another man. The more he thought, the briefer the suit got. He didn't like it at all. What would be a good excuse for him to start going with her in the mornings without raising suspicions that he was jealous. Jealous! Where did that come from? He's too intelligent to be jealous!

That night was so very satisfying. They held each other close and he whispered how much he loved her. She used her hands and mouth to build him to a peak again and they finally went to sleep tired out from love. She smiled lazily to herself and thought that was a strange thing to say. Tired out from love. She would never ever get tired of him and the way he could make her body feel so alive. God, how she loved this man.

She called him when she and Danny got back from shopping and to say that she was starting to cook dinner and that she had invited Danny to eat with them. "Oh, joy! And evening spent comparing me to him. He looks like a movie star! And I look like…I'm not sure what I look like." He was very glum when he knocked on her door.

"Hello. Come on in. Dinner will be ready in about 30 minutes. And it's one of your recipes. I think I've done it justice. Danny, will you carry the plates and flatware out to the deck? Thanks. Come here while he's not looking." She gave him a quick but thorough kiss and whispered "I love you my handsome man!"

That cheered him up considerably. He actually stood a little taller. He removed his jacket, hung it up and offered to help with anything that needed doing. Drinks. He could fix the drinks. And slice the bread. He noticed that she had bought his favorite kind. They carried everything out to the deck and ate looking out over the harbor at a beautiful sunset.

"This is delicious Louisa. You did it perfectly." His face relaxed into a Martin smile. You had to know him to know that it was definitely a smile. Danny was effusive with his compliments to the point that it became tedious. He thought he would earn points by being more courteous than that stick of wood, Martin. She changed the subject by clearing the dishes in preparation for serving an apple crisp that Joan had made for her. She and Danny had theirs with clotted cream and, of course, Martin's tiny portion was plain.

They couldn't all work in her little kitchen so she and Martin insisted that Danny relax while they cleared up the dishes. "No, don't worry. We do this together all the time." That was Danny's first realization that they were a serious couple. "Good Lord! Why would she care for a sour puss like him? She deserves better."

"Martin, do you want to see my dress for the wedding? Don't worry, it's not a fashion show. I'll just hold it up for you to look at."

He thought it was the perfect shade of red for her and would like to see it on her when they were alone but all he did was nod. As a matter of fact, he wanted to help her put it on and then help her remove it along with everything else she was wearing. "Where did these randy thoughts come from? This is getting to be embarrassing!" And had to quickly cross his legs to hide the results of those thoughts. He couldn't get the thought of her being with another man out of his head. And, no, he's not jealous!

It was getting late and time for company to go home. Danny tried to out wait Martin but it didn't work. Martin settled on the sofa and gave every sign that he wasn't leaving.

"Well, it's time for me to go home. Thanks for inviting me to go with you to Truro. It was fun and, again, dinner was delicious. See you in the morning at 5. Good night Martin, Louisa."

As soon as he was out of the cottage, she straddled Martin's lap in the mood for some serious snogging. "I've been waiting for this all day. I need you my love. Please come to bed with me."

This request made him tremble with such deep feelings. How much he loved this woman! How could he be so selfish? An overnight trip to London with her. Meeting some of her friends. Was that so much for her to want? Of course he would go! And to the Leisure Center whenever his schedule allowed it. And even to that retched pub occasionally for quiz night. He carried her upstairs and they slowly undressed each other. He trembled again. Her body, her kisses, the love she gave him. How could he ever deserve her? He could feel a softening of the hurts he had buried deep inside him for so many years.

They totally forgot to use a condom and went to sleep still in their embrace.

She left early the next morning for her swim. He went back to the surgery, did his workout and got ready for the day no longer feeling the least bit of insecurity or jealousy. She would tell Danny that she no longer needed him as an escort and he would see her tonight.

Danny didn't take it very well. He told her that Martin wasn't nearly good enough for her. He had heard things about him from people in the village. He was rude – and that's all he was allowed to say. "Listen to me Danny, you don't say one bad word to me about Martin! I guess the villagers didn't bother to tell you about how many lives he's saved or about the way he's climbed down cliffs, rushed out in the middle of horrific storms, waded through sheep dung and God knows what else to take care of a patient or been called out 2 or 3 times a night to help someone and always goes no matter if the need is genuine or not! Oh no, not one word from you or anybody else about Martin unless it's to thank God that the village has him as our gp. Is that clear?"

He slowly nodded "Yes, it's clear. I had no idea that's the way…"

"You grew up here. You should know how everyone here gossips. Have you forgotten how people talked about us when we didn't come home that night? Even though it was totally innocent?"

"Yes, you're right. I won't say another word except that Martin is one really lucky man. I wish you both happiness. Am I forgiven?"

She gave him a brief hug and said goodbye. After that they didn't see each other very much. Martin didn't miss him at all!

She also had a realization. She could lead or coax Martin but she couldn't force him. She didn't want to _ever_ force him! Remember the list – give him time. She smiled a little and thought that, although she didn't plan it, maybe a little jealousy helped too.

They had an agreeable time in London. At least that's how he described it. She, when asked, said they had a wonderful time. She enjoyed seeing her friends again and proudly introduced Martin to all of them. Nobody would say that he was gracious or friendly but he was polite and, most of all, not scowling or impatient. The dinner was delicious and the guests were all intelligent and good conversationalists. He watched Louisa so happy with everything and knew that his decision to accompany her was the right thing to do. He got to help her put on the new dress and for once his compliment wasn't 'satisfactory'. He told her she looked stunning and pulled a box out of his pocket. "Turn around please." And put a strand of perfectly matched pearls around her neck and handed her the matching earrings.

"Martin? How…why…? They're lovely! Oh, thank you! Oh, they're perfect! I've never had anything like this before! Oh, my love. You are so good to me." And kissed him smearing her lipstick all over his mouth.

For the first time, a compliment didn't make him blush. His face had a full, genuine smile on it as he watched her admiring his gift.

For him, he would describe the trip as pleasant. For her, it was completely wonderful except for the fly in her ointment.

 **I sincerely hope I'm not being too sweet. I want them to work out their problems and, as I've said before, I don't write conflict very well at all.**


	14. Chapter 14

**I keep forgetting to say that Buffalo Pictures owns Doc Martin. I just like to play with it a little.**

One of the reviews of this story (which I am thrilled to get) suggested that Louisa was quick to throw Doc over when she asked Danny to be her escort. I should have made it clear that she considered him as just an old friend and treated him that way. There were no any romantic feelings felt or implied by her.

Chapter 14

She thought and worried for several days about an incident that happened when they were checking out of their hotel in London. A group of very august looking men and women were gathering outside a conference room. She could tell that Martin saw them but he lowered his head and tried to pass them unseen. Unfortunately, to her way of thinking, one of them was the odious Adrian Pitts. An older man turned and noticed Martin and exclaimed "Mart! Wonderful to see you! Come say hello." Grabbing Martin's hand and pumping it vigorously "Hey everyone, it's Martin! Do you know everyone Mart?" And he was surrounded by the group who were all delighted to see him again. Adrian was left out and shuffled to the side out of the way. There were three others standing with him who were nodding toward Martin and obviously asking who he was. She could see Adrian smirking and she would bet her last euro that he was talking about Martin's supposed fall from grace and why. The older man (who turned out to be the Director of all the hospitals in London, a very big wig indeed!) pressed Martin to attend the conference. "We could certainly use your input. Missed those acerbic comments of yours! What say, old man, can you join us? Introduce your companion, please."

Martin motioned for her to join them and introductions were made. Pleasantries were exchanged with everyone except Adrian who hid behind a tall potted plant. She was charming and gracious and looked expectantly at Martin to see what he wanted to do. Knowing him as well as she did, she could tell that he was uncomfortable and ready to leave. He made his regrets, shook hands all round again and hustled her away. He had a film of sweat across his brow and tried to hide the fact that he was embarrassed and unhappy. During the drive home, she waited to see if he would talk about the incident. He didn't so she casually asked why he didn't want to hear whatever they were going to discuss. Usually, he was interested in all things medical.

He tried to be off hand with his answer but didn't fool her "Just because I don't belong with them anymore. They're all top surgeons. I wouldn't fit in." It was a quiet end to their trip.

He claimed exhaustion when they finally made it to bed, rolled away from her pretended to sleep. She snuggled against his back and also pretended to sleep. They both were thinking about that unfortunate meeting. He, regretting that he wasn't a surgeon anymore and she trying to think of a way to help him. She had become painfully aware of just how unhappy he was. Unacceptable but how to help?

She waited until what she judged to be the perfect day to make her suggestion. It was a Saturday and they had eaten lunch with Joan. She planned with Joan to reminisce about the holidays Martin had spent at the farm. They walked around the buildings and fields and he was encouraged to show her his favorite haunts as a child and tell of his adventures with Uncle Phil. Back at her cottage, they made sweet love and relaxed in each other's arms.

Her head was tucked under his chin and her fingers traced circles on his chest. "Martin"

"Um?"

"I want to talk about something. Don't you get angry because it's very important to both of us. Ok?"

He pulled his head back and looked at her, "I promise not to get angry but don't promise to discuss something when I don't know what's to be discussed. Fair?"

"I supposed that will have to do." She rested her chin in her palm so that she could watch his face, "It's about your phobia." She could feel him tense up and his narrowed eyes shot to hers. "Wait, wait let me continue. I've always been aware that you would like to do surgery again but, until we met those other doctors at the hotel, I didn't know just how much you miss it."

He rolled out of bed and said curtly "I don't want to talk about this. Surgery is over and done with. I'm a gp now. That's it!" And disappeared into the loo.

"Well, that went well!" And she got out bed, threw on her robe and went downstairs to make tea. He appeared a little later, took his cup of tea and grabbed the latest bmj and starting reading it.

"You said you wouldn't get angry.

"I'm _not_ angry. Just want to finish the article."

"Ok, I won't bring it up again. Would you please look at me? Without a scowl?" He didn't look up and she began to lose patience and sounded exasperated "I'm sorry. I just thought you might listen to my suggestion." A pause and the master stroke. "Oh well, it's time for me to prepare for work tomorrow. I'll spread out in the lounge while you read or do whatever strikes your fancy. I didn't realize you had given up so completely." She watched him freeze and process that thought.

He stood and slammed the magazine onto the table. "I haven't _given up_. I just don't think about it anymore! Look, we both have work to do before tomorrow so I'll go home." He grabbed his coat and sort of passed her cheek with his lips and left. At the surgery he tried to work on several things before he muttered "Thanks, Louisa! Totally lost my ability to concentrate!" He went to stand on the terrace, then walked to the top of the hill and just kept going too restless to read or do anything sedentary. "My phobia! Why talk about that? Does she always have to talk?"

She didn't hear from him that night or the next day. Not surprised but a little hurt, she waited. Gossip traveled fast in the village so she knew about the emergencies that he had to deal with – first, a fisherman sliced his hand open while gutting a fish and second, a farmer drove two of the sharp prongs of a pitchfork threw his foot and last, the florist cracked her nose on a cabinet door and it wouldn't stop bleeding. All blood emergencies and all were house calls. He had to walk across two fields and through a hog lot to get to the farmer. The fisherman didn't bother to wrap his hand so blood dripped all through the waiting room and into the consulting room. To Martin, it looked like globs of it were everywhere and had to be cleaned up. The florist had blood all down the front of her clothes and blood had dripped on the narrow walk way in her greenhouse. He actually had to walk through it to get to where she was sitting with her head tilted back as he had instructed. He couldn't insist that she come to the surgery because he himself was treating her for vertigo and banned her from driving. He lost count of how many times he vomited. The smell, the feel of blood! He felt nauseated just thinking about it. "Blast! I've got some on my pants! And coat! And pig shit!" Nothing left in his stomach, he endured a bout of dry heaves. He was on his knees holding on to the toilet bowl heaving his guts out and totally _miserable._

She got home at 5:00, poured a glass of wine and stood looking up at the surgery. She couldn't take it any longer. God! She missed him! She would call him after the surgery closed.

Martin was exhausted, both mentally and physically. His need to see and touch Louisa was an ache that over rode every other feeling. Why did he even get angry? They trusted each other. She was probably hurt by him not calling or making an attempt to see her. It felt like a week and he missed her smell, her voice, everything about her! As soon as his last patient left and Pauline closed the surgery, he cleaned up and made his way to her cottage. She saw him coming and he looked so tired! She walked to meet him and they stood looking at each other. He took her hand and pulled her inside and just held her tightly, taking comfort from the feel of her pressed against his body. She returned his embrace, so glad to be with him again.

He pulled back and looked at her. "I'm sor…" and she placed a finger across his lips.

"We're both sorry. I've missed you so much!" And pulled his face to hers for a sweet, comforting kiss. "Come sit down. You look so tired! I heard what happened today. It must have been awful for you. Can I make you some tea or anything?"

He sat wearily on the sofa and "A glass of water and then hot, hot tea would be wonderful. I'm so hungry! I've kept nothing on my stomach all day."

She hurried to get his water and plug in the kettle. "I'll order take out for us. That will be quicker than me trying to cook something. How about baked chicken and vegetables from Bert's? Ok?"

Bert knew all about the Doc's day and filled the order double quick and gave the Doc double portions. Al delivered it piping hot and left without any unnecessary talk. He stayed just long enough to say "On the house. Dad says to enjoy."

Martin wolfed down his food and several cups of tea before speaking. "That's what I needed! Why would Bert do that? He can't just give food away. I must remember to pay him."

"He did it because he knows what a day you had and he appreciates what you do. We all do – even the ones who yell tosser at you. Just thank him. That's all you need to do."

He was pensive for a few minutes before saying "You mentioned my phobia. I shouldn't have gotten upset with you. Even if I don't do surgery anymore, I still have to deal with blood a lot more often than I like. No doctor wants to see a patient bleeding. Will you finish what you were going to say the other night?"

"Well, I think you should see a counselor about it. There must be someone who can help you."

"I thought you were going to suggest that. Even if I agree to your idea, it might take years and it might not ever work. And it takes someone especially trained to deal with a phobia like mine. Today convinced me that I have to try. It was…" unwilling to sound like he was whining, finished by saying "it was very…trying."

"You have to decide whether or not you are willing to take on something like that and stay with it for however long it takes. To open yourself to another person will be difficult for you. Is there a person you trust to recommend someone?"

He didn't hesitate with his answer "Yes, Chris Parsons. Do you remember him from the review committee? He's my boss now but we've known each other for years. We first met in pre-med and went on through medical school together. We were always roommates until I specialized in surgery and he in admin. I'll call him now."

She smiled a little watching him. Once he got started on something, it was full steam ahead.

Martin's conversation was brief and to the point as all of them were. Chris was happy for his friend both professionally and personally. Having dealt with some of them, he knew the embarrassment and despair that people felt when experiencing phobias that stopped them from doing the work that they had spent so much time preparing for and enjoyed doing. And Martin was the best in his field. Such a loss to the medical community. He already knew who he would recommend. "His name is Dr. Leslie Timberland and, lucky for you, he's in his office in Truro two days a week. I'll call him tomorrow and tell him about you. Will that do?"

"Yes, thank you. I'll wait for your call. Oh, and my best to Carol and the children. Good bye."

He had a hopeful look on his face. "Well, that's that. I'll certainly give it my best effort."

She smiled and raised her wine glass in a salute. "Well done my love."

He was quiet for a moment and then with an earnest expression "Thank you. I wouldn't have even tried if not for you."

In return, she grinned "You're welcome. Now, I have another really important question. You don't need to look at me like that! This one is easy. If I try really, really hard, do you think I can seduce you tonight?"


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Martin scheduled his first appointment with Dr. Timberland. He was in the waiting room thumbing through a mindless magazine that appeared to promise two things to women – better sex and how to lose weight. "Absolute tosh!" he thought. "Oh for god's sake, all these magazines promise the same thing!" Just then a woman who strongly reminded him of his mother walked out of the consulting room. Expensively dressed, expertly made up and coifed, she exuded pride and snobbery. Not a good time to be reminded of his less than loving mother. To his dismay, his palms and underarms were sweating. A man walked out, extended his hand and said "Dr. Martin Ellingham I presume? I'm Dr. Timberland. Please come through."

"Please be seated. If you'd be more comfortable, you can hang your jacket on the coat rack just behind you. No, alright then, let's get acquainted. First, call me Leslie and I'll call you Martin. I prefer a relaxed and informal atmosphere."

Martin saw that room was decorated in neutral colors, comfortable chairs in sizes that were big enough for him to be comfortable in and small enough for the woman who just left. Dr. Timberland's diplomas and certificates were hung on the walls. Martin took note of them before sitting down. "Very impressive. No wonder Chris recommended him."

"Alright, let's find out a little about each other. As you can see, I received my doctorate from Oxford and furthered my studies in Germany where I concentrated on dealing with phobias. I chose that field because one of my friends, who is a world renowned pediatric surgeon, suddenly couldn't stand to be around blood. He couldn't tolerate the sight or smell of it. Uncontrollable shaking , nausea, vomiting and even fainting. Such a shame because he saved so many lives and improved the lives of so many others."

"I am familiar with the symtoms."

"Yes. When we talked on the phone, you indicated that you're struggling with a blood phobia, also."

"Yes."

"And, when did it start?"

"About four years ago."

Dr. Timberlake made some notes thinking that this patient was going to present some communication problems. "And?"

"And? What do you mean by 'and'? My phobia started about four years ago."

"And? It's affected you in what way?"

"It's very inconvenient."

"Yes, I'm sure it is." He folded his hands on his desk and looked seriously at his patient. "Martin, the most important thing needed for me to help you is communication. Are you willing to try to open up in our sessions? And, I must tell you that if you're not, your therapy will take longer and have much less chance of success. So, what's it to be?"

Martin looked down at his hands and observed the fine tremors with disgust. "I find it very difficult to talk to people – especially about myself and my feelings. The most prominent characteristic of the Ellingham family is the desire for privacy. My background has taught me that 'opening up' to anyone usually ends up badly for me."

"Well, we're going to have to work through that. You're aware, I'm sure, that there is no quick fix for you. This is going to be long and, sometimes, very stressful for you. Can you commit to undertaking this therapy knowing those two things?"

"Yes, I have to be."

"I would rather you say that you _want_ to be ready but we'll work with what you feel you have to give. Tell me your first instance of your phobia."

"During surgery."

"A bit more than that please."

"I was at Imperial Hospital four years ago."

"And the surgery went badly?"

"No, I didn't perform surgery."

Leslie privately thought that this must be what pulling teeth was like. "Why didn't you perform surgery? Was it your phobia?"

"Yes."

Ok, a change of topic might help us move along. "You said you now live in PortWenn. Do you have any friends there, like a girlfriend or best mate?"

"No best mate but I'm…involved with a woman."

"Do you mean romantically involved?"

Martin gave his usual brief response "Yes" and was as reluctant to discuss Louisa as he was his phobia. He knew Leslie would be justified in thinking that he wasn't cooperating but it's just so hard!

"Remember what I said about communication. Try to open up more. Now, tell me about her. And I mean real information like who is she, what does she do, how did you meet? Things like that."

There was a long pause during which Martin stared at his shoes and hesitantly answered the questions "Her name is Louisa Glasson and she's head teacher at the school. We met on the plane in which we were both traveling to PortWenn. I could see that she had advanced glaucoma but she got angry because she thought I was being fresh. I've constantly upset her since by saying or doing the wrong thing. She's been more than patient with me and she's…"

He was going to say that she was the most important person in his life and he loved her with a passion that he still found hard to believe but couldn't get the words out. Way outside his comfort zone.

"Please continue – she's what?"

"It's not proper for me to discuss my relationship with her. Just leave it that she is…special to me."

"Alright, let's talk about your phobia again."

Martin was scheduled for two sessions a week and, so it went for the next two months. With patient and skilled questioning, Leslie got Martin to really talk about his phobia; when it really started and what Martin thought caused it. He told his story about the woman patient and what happened.

"It feels as though I've told this story a hundred times. (he sighs heavily and plays with the buttons on his jacket cuffs) I've operated successfully over 10,000 times and had the reputation of having 'golden hands'. But I never looked at my patients as people. Just bodies. They were just a challenge that I was eager to conquer. I _enjoyed_ my work. My last successful surgery was three years, eight months and ten days ago. Then, something changed. The surgery I was to perform was routine, no pressure at all. I went out to speak to the patient and her family as usual. They were gathered around her, holding on to the wife and mother of their family. _She_ was comforting _them_ and not nervous at all because what she had heard about me convinced her that she was in the best hands possible. The next time I saw her she was on my operating table and she was a real person – a wife and mother, a human being. The strength of her family and I couldn't make the first cut. I actually fainted while standing over her. My patient! My responsibility! And I failed her. I was carried out of surgery and woke up disoriented and incredulous about what happened. I tried again two days later and had to literally run out before I vomited on my patient! The hospital made me take two weeks off before I could try again. Same thing. The thought, the smell of blood, something that I was so familiar with for years! And I couldn't handle it."

Dr. Timberland watched Martin, observing his trembling, perspiration and listening to the agony in his voice.

"And now I'm a gp in a small village in Cornwall. I chose that location because my aunt has a farm there. I've had to deal with bloody patients more times that you could believe! And, _every time_ I threw up. At least I haven't fainted! I think the residents of the village of the damned are waiting gleefully for it to happen. Believe me, they are satisfied with simple past times. I was actually asked to judge a contest once that the winner looked most like his pig! Something like washing their hands is beyond their ability to understand that it's a good thing! It's very discouraging to go through every day doing the same thing with no good results. Dirt, gossip, ignorance! That's the daily experience with the residents of PortWenn!"

Martin raised his head and looked at Dr. Timberland for the first time since he started talking. His expression was one of bewilderment and defeat. "I've got to conquer this thing! I just can't see myself going on with this big stone round my neck dragging me down. I'm a threat to my patients and am harming my health. I lost count of how many times I vomited last week!"

"Martin I know this was difficult for you but it's also beneficial. You've come a long way in two months. I feel confident that we will conquer this. I must tell you that our next few sessions will be very personal so be prepared. And, even worse, could be painful."

"Oh god, more personal than they've already been?"

"Yes. We'll be talking about your family, your childhood, what school you attended. Things like that. I ask you to think about your past. I think your phobia may come from something that happened to you a long time ago." Martin was shaking his head but Leslie continued. "That is a very common thing. If I'm wrong, we'll look somewhere else. Again, be prepared. Now, that's enough for today. Have a good weekend and we'll meet again next Tuesday."

Louisa had been quietly observing Martin, careful not to push him into talking. It was really hard when she desperately wanted to know if or any progress he was making. There were long silences when he just sat on the sofa with the latest bmj in front of him but, instead of carefully studying its contents, he just stared at nothing, completely lost in his thoughts. Thoughts that he wasn't ready to share with her. Some days he was irritable; some days he impatient – strike that, he's always impatient. For over a week, he was critical of just about everything she did.

But at night, he held her tightly and drove into her willing body getting comfort and release. Then there such tenderness and need. She could put up with silences, moodiness, just about anything because of those nights.

Then she made his favorite fish stew one night.

"You put too much salt in this. You know that too much salt is very bad for your health."

"I didn't put any salt in it. You've told me several times about the dangers of too much salt."

"Well, you did something wrong." And he ate two helpings. Gr-r-r.

"You've left your razor on the sink again. Really, I wish you would try to be more tidy."

"I'm sorry but that's your razor. You were going to change the blade and must have forgotten to."

"You're late. You know I like to eat by 6:30. Now I'll have a sleepless night."

"I'm sorry. I got tied up with some antsy parents and couldn't get away. I left you a message."

"Well, I was trying to courteous and wait for you. You should have let me know that you would be this late. Please try to remember to let me know next time."

"You've used too much salt again. Please try to understand that it's bad for you. Look at how swollen your ankles are."

"Once again, I didn't put any salt in the spaghetti sauce. Tomatoes have acid in them which make them taste salty. Do you not like it?"

"No. I'll make an omelet instead."

"Here, let me help you." And she tipped his plate onto his lap. "Now, make sure you don't put too much salt in your bloody omelet! My swollen ankles and I will go home!" She snorted, nodded her head sharply, grabbed her purse and left him to his misery.

He sat there in shock. What's the matter with her? Pre-menstrual maybe? He made a perfectly reasonable comment and she goes ballistic. And her ankles _are_ swollen!

After sitting there wondering at the vagaries of women, he ate the spaghetti. It wasn't so bad after all.

He called her before going to bed but it went straight to voice mail. He couldn't go to sleep and out of habit, looked out the window at her cottage and could see that her lights were still on. Again, his call went to voice mail. "Louisa, I really don't understand why you got so upset. I don't think it's time for you period, so did you have a bad day at school? Anyway, have a good night and I'll see you tomorrow. For lunch I hope. Love you. Good night." So much for a good night's sleep.

Louisa listened to his message and gave a wry shake of her head. "That clueless man! I'd give my favorite pair of shoes to know what's going on with him. Well, he can suffer alone! Of course, I'll be alone, too. Blast! I already miss him." So much for a good night's sleep.

When she didn't show up for lunch or even call to say why, he finally started questioning his actions. He was as brutally honest with himself as he was with other people and, after reflecting on his behavior of late, he admitted that she had plenty of reason to be angry with him. His call went to voice mail again but this message was different. "Louisa, I'm sorry that I've been so critical of late. You've certainly done nothing to earn it. You're a wonderful cook and you have beautiful ankles. Please call me."

She loved the way he said her name and the message melted all her resentment and she immediately called him. And got voice mail. "I'll be there after school. Should be around 4:00 if nothing happens. Oh, and I'll stop and get fresh fish for dinner. Can't wait to see you." She couldn't remember an afternoon being longer. _Finally,_ it was time to leave. Polly, the secretary, stayed until every one left and she locked up. Louise bought the fish, veggies and salad makings. A quick stop at her cottage to freshen up and then to the surgery. She went in the front door just as he came out for the next patient. As usual, he was scowling but, when he saw her, he gave a slight nod and tipped his head toward the kitchen. She greeted Pauline and went to the kitchen to lay things out for their meal. He excused himself and followed her. He stood unobserved and just watched her. She was so beautiful! And her body moved with such grace. But, she seemed to be putting on weight. They were eating healthy meals but there were extra calories somewhere. "Probably Chocolate Digestives. She's certainly addicted to them! For god's sake Ellingham, keep your mouth closed. No arguments tonight!"

She turned, saw him and walked straight into his arms. He smelled and felt so good!

He opened his arms and pulled her close to him. He had missed her so much and she smelled so good! "I've missed you. If you can wait for about an hour, I'll be through. Can you?"

"Yes, I can wait. I have some papers to mark so I'll see you later." She couldn't let him go without a kiss so she stood on tiptoe, he lowered his head and they shared a long, 'I've missed you" kiss.

And he promised that they would talk later.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Unfortunately, they didn't talk. He managed to take a few bites and his phone rang.

"Doc Martin? This is Molly Simpson. Remember that I'm pregnant? Yes, well I'm almost in my eighth month and I've started bleeding. No, it's not much but I'm frightened. Can you come? I hate to ask but my husband is out on the boat and I don't think I should try to drive. I called him but it would take him hours to get here."

"Yes, I'll be there as soon as I can. Lie down flat on your back and elevate your feet. I'll call an ambulance from my car."

He opened his mouth to explain and Louisa shushed him. "You go take care of your patient and I'll keep your dinner warm."

"She lives a fair distance from here so I'll be late getting back and won't want to eat. Are you staying here tonight?"

"Yes, we were going to talk."

"Tomorrow is Saturday and I'm not on call so we'll have plenty of time."

"Bye, my love. I'll try to stay awake till you get back."

As he told Mrs. Simpson, he called for an ambulance on his car phone. When he entered the house, he could see that her blood had soaked through the sheet she was lying on and immediately felt queasy.

"I'm sorry Doc. I'm bleeding bad now. I know you hate it but I wanted you to come. Are you going to be ok?"

"I may vomit but I can still give you the medical care you need." He said sharply. "The ambulance is on its way. Have you done any strenuous activity lately? Have you fallen? Any unusual aches or pains?"

"No but my back aches something terrible. I'm so worried! Is my baby ok?"

"Let me check you out." Pulse, blood pressure and then checked to see if she had started dilating." And her water broke.

"You're in labor and have started dilating. The ambulance will be here shortly. They'll transport you to the hospital where your baby will be born. They will also take care of your bleeding. I can't tell you what's causing it without a thorough examination and I can't do one here." He felt liquid soaking through his trousers, looked down and it was a mixture of blood and water. He quickly grabbed a bag and threw up.

"Oh Doc, I'm sorry. There's a towel in the loo. Put it on your car seat to protect the covering. Oh, that's a sharp pain! Is that labor?"

"Yes, and it will get worse. I hear the ambulance and…No! No, don't try to get up. They'll bring a stretcher in. Try to relax and do your breathing exercises when you have contractions."

On the way home he realized he didn't thank her for the towel. She was a good patient, followed her doctor's orders and only called when she actually needed something. If more were like her, his life would be so much easier!

He quietly entered the house sure that Louisa was already in bed. She was so, instead of taking the chance of waking her by showering, he just sponged off and crawled into bed naked. He hoped that she would be too and wasn't disappointed. She was on her side facing away from him so he put one arm under her neck and the other around her shoulders. His knees were tucked under hers and he could feel her body down the length of his and it was wonderful. She mumbled in her sleep and squirmed closer to him. And the snoring that used to bother him was actually comforting. He drifted off into a deep sleep right away. Neither had remembered to set the alarm clock and overslept. He didn't have time for his usual exercises and she missed her swim time. He hurriedly shaved and showered while she prepared an egg and cheese sandwich for his breakfast and his 'necessary in the morning' espresso. They quickly made arrangements to meet later for lunch. She went home to change and then went for a long walk along the cliffs. She had never felt so good. Except…She had noticed some changes in her body; weight gain, swollen ankles, an overwhelming hunger for braised lamb with hot curry and she was late. The biggest thing – she was late. She never kept close track of her menstrual cycles but this was unusual. She would buy a pregnancy test.

Just as he was closing the surgery for the day she called him. "I packed our lunch and, before you start complaining, it's not a picnic! Come up to the first bench on the cliff walk and I'll be waiting for you."

He saw her from a distance and quickened his step. "If this isn't a picnic then where are we going to eat?" Still uneasy about eating outdoors under god knows what conditions.

"Don't worry! You'll be comfortable and definitely won't be sitting on the ground. Just trust me!"

They walked chatting easily (she had worked long and hard to get him able to do that with her) and admiring the fantastic views.

"You know, I've lived here all my life and still can't believe how beautiful it is here. I feel so fortunate! I don't think I would be the same person if I had grown up in an impersonal city."

"Probably not. For one thing, it's a lot more private there. I never heard from anyone the level gossip that goes on here."

She chuckled "Huh-uh! You just never noticed it. With your looks, the way you dress and I'm sure with the loads of money you made that you were a constant source of speculation and wishful thinking from the women around you and jealousy from tossers like the Pitts guy."

As he usually did when complimented, he blushed and mumbled something about a load of rubbish.

"Oh no my lovely man – not rubbish! Have you figured out where we're going yet?"

He had been walking along enjoying the day and, instead of watching the path, his eyes were drawn to her lovely bum and the way it swayed in time with her pony tail. A very pleasant pastime! He looked around "Of course. We're going to Auntie Joan's. So why the picnic? Are you afraid that she won't feed us?"

"Good lord, no! She gave us permission to use her pergola as long as we stop in to say hello at some point. Good?"

He nodded and said that it was very good indeed.

They enjoyed a thermos of hot, hot tea just the way he liked it, bottled water and healthy egg and cucumber sandwiches on whole grain bread. Cheese and crisp apples for afters. He sighed with contentment and put her hand to his lips. "Thank you. This is so pleasant. I've needed a little time away from patients and the stress…" He fell silent trying to figure out what to say to her.

She gave him time and sat quietly looking out at Joan's fields instead of him. He realized what she was doing and felt a rush of love for her and pride that someone as unique as she was could love someone like him. "It's time for me to catch you up with what's going on with my sessions. Dr. Timberland says that they're going very well. It's hard for me to believe that. I usually leave his office upset and angry. I think you know some of what my childhood was like. That it wasn't very…pleasant. He's making me remember a lot of things that I had buried. He thinks that if I hadn't the ability to compartmentalize the way I can, that life would be very different for me. I'm not sure about that but I do know that if I hadn't had holidays with Auntie Joan and Uncle Phil to look forward to…" He shook his head. "They were the only people who loved me and tried to make me happy. And they did. We did nothing elaborate or expensive, just spent time together as a family. It was wonderful and I _want_ to remember that! Right now, for some reason, he's zeroing on my early school years. It's a public school with a reputation for an outstanding curriculum and harsh discipline. My parents chose it for those reasons. My Father, especially, wanted me to toughen up and thought someone hitting me with sticks would do it. The administrators _said_ they didn't tolerate bullying. _Bullshite_! They turned a blind eye to just about everything! Even laughed about it sometimes. You know the pack of girls that wander around the village insulting and embarrassing people? Well, imagine boys, the older and bigger boys, wandering round the school on the lookout for younger and smaller boys to torment - verbally and physically. They learned to punch areas that wouldn't show the bruises." At this point, she laid her head on his shoulder and held his arm, giving the only comfort that she could. "They had a knack of finding a weakness and then using it to humiliate any one that they could. Of course, they discovered mine. I started wetting the bed when I was about seven or eight and they would hang my sheets in the wash room with my name on them. "Little Martin, the bed wetter". Some of us tried to support each other. I made some friends and we found out that doing really, really well in our studies got the professors to give some protection to the school's best students. I had always found learning easy and, believe me, I worked my arse off and rose to the top for academic excellence. The professors would parade me and the other top students in front of the prospective parents to impress them. We had to solve problems, recite things and sometimes I had to play the piano. I wanted so badly to tell them, NO!, don't sent your son here. I didn't have the courage to speak. When I tried to tell my Father about the abuse, I was told to "try to grow a pair" and stop being such a whining little prat. He would be so dismissive and hurtful with his remarks that I just kept my mouth shut as much as possible. I was never given any praise or credit for my accomplishments or awards. It was 'expected' of an Ellingham. The day I was finished with that hell hole was one of the happiest of my life."

At this point, he looked at her and asked "You don't think I'm whining do you?"

"Of course not! I'm a teacher remember? I know how cruel some children can be. I'm so sorry that you had a childhood like that." She rubbed her face against his arm, feeling so helpless. "My parents deserted me but I had Bert and Mary and Joan. You just had Joan and Phil for such short times. Oh, my love."

"Well, I'm finished with this tale of woe. I can't tell you how much I regret taking my anger out on you. You've done nothing to deserve that kind of treatment." He sighed heavily and said "Dr. Timberland said that the sessions will get a lot more intense. I wish I could promise that I won't behave like a bastard toward you again."

"We'll deal with any problems as they happen. I love you and want to encourage and support you while you're going through this painful time."

He pulled her face to his with a gentle hand and gave her a tender kiss.

She asked "One thing confuses me a little. You were that old when you started wetting the bed? Usually it starts much earlier than that."

"Yes, you're correct. It surprised Leslie, too. He'll probably want to discuss it at some point. I must say that I'm not looking forward to it."

"Me neither. I have to say one more thing. I _do_ want to encourage and support you but, as I told you before, I _will not_ be a punching bag. If you're upset or angry, maybe we could try exercise or a better idea, sex to release those feelings. Just grab me and take me to the bedroom and have your wicked way with me. Does that sound like it would work?"

He grinned and answered "It sounds very logical and I'm certainly willing to try sex. Maybe I can get upset on the way home?" And he leered at her.

She burst out laughing and heartily agreed. "Let's hurry this up then! Joan will be expecting us so let's go." She pulled him to his feet, grabbed her back pack and ran toward the house, looking back and laughing. "Come on slow poke!"

He couldn't help but smile and quickened his pace. Then watching her bum wiggle back and forth, he actually broke into a run – in his dusty dress shoes! He passed her and looking back, "I thought you were in a hurry! Come on, let's pick it up."

They arrived at the door out of breath. Joan watched them and said a little prayer of thanks. Her boy actually looked happy.

"Come in, come in. You look like you could use a cuppa! Have a seat and catch your breath while I plug the kettle in." She hugged them both as they sat down. "Now Marty, I know you don't approve of unnecessary fat and sugar but I made a chocolate cake for us. I don't even have to ask Louisa if it's chocolate but you, will you have a piece?"

Looking at that beloved face smiling at him he found that, as usual, he couldn't refuse her. "Yes, please, but a small one."

They spent an hour talking and none of them could remember what about. They just remembered how much they enjoyed being together. Joan hadn't seen Marty that relaxed since he was a boy on holiday with her and Phil.

When Martin and Louisa got back to the surgery they both felt sweaty and in need of a shower. Louisa pointed out that they were just being good citizens and conserving water when she climbed into the shower with him. After his initial surprise, he got into the spirit of it and carefully washed that luscious body and thought conserving water was an excellent idea!

She washed him at the same time, being careful to give special attention to certain areas.

They were barely dry when they tumbled into bed. Their lovemaking was slow, sensuous and languid. Lips and hands exploring and tasting every inch, eliciting gasps and whispers from both of them "Oh god, that feels so good!" They fell asleep in each other's arms drained and contented.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Martin felt so conflicted. His relationship with Louisa was fulfilling in every way. For the first time in his life he was truly in love and felt loved and even cherished by her. On the other end of the spectrum, his sessions with Leslie were getting more difficult to endure. Now Leslie was concentrating on his home life as a child. He remained convinced that the root of Martin's phobia lay in his past.

And on top of all that, he still had to conduct his surgery every day. His temper got shorter and his remarks ruder. In spite of not telling anyone but Louisa and Joan about his counseling, word got out. Someone who knew someone told someone else that he saw the Doc going into a counselor's office. Speculation was rife until the man at the Fish Market hit on the most logical explanation – the blood phobia. Everybody had sympathy for that. Almost everyone had witnessed the Doc's reaction to blood and they all admitted that it never stopped him from giving the best medical treatments that the village had ever had. The odd thing about the feelings of most of the villager's toward the Doc was respect and a grudging liking. As Bert said, they went with the flow. They had gotten accustomed to his rudeness and admired his use of the English language. And if Louiser was so potty about him, then he must be alright. It became a common event in the pub at night to repeat some of his more caustic remarks. The recipients of the most creative ones got bragging rights and a free pint.

Louisa knew that he was really trying to watch his behavior around her not wanting to cause another argument so she was making heroic efforts to be patient and not snap back at him when his comments were a little out of line.

She had things on her mind too. She was deliriously happy but also worried. One minute she was sure that Martin would be happy and the next, sure that he would want nothing to do with a child. Yes, the pregnancy test confirmed that she was pregnant. And the midwife at the hospital in Truro said that she was in her fourteenth week. No wonder she was putting on weight! Just showed how distracted Martin was that he hadn't noticed. But he had to be told, and soon.

With persistent and careful questioning Leslie had found out Martin had a deplorable home life that included neglect, ridicule and actual physical abuse from both parents. For example, Martin told of the time he entered his father's study once without knocking, eager to show him something. His father was furious and used his leather belt to discipline him. That was a frequent occurrence for the most trifling 'offences'. His mother would take every opportunity to cause punishments. It seemed to Martin that she enjoyed watching them. Even worse than the belt was the small dark cupboard under the stairs. He was forced into it after being disciplined, when he got in the way, when he was too noisy (that meant that he tried to talk to his parents), if he got his clothes dirty, when his mother was having her friends over and sometimes for no reason at all. Sometimes he was in there for hours. It was hot and claustrophobic. He learned to be a ghost around his parents. It was safer that way.

At this point, Leslie started Martin on breathing exercises to help reduce his stress levels instead of using anger as he had been prone to do. He was to do them faithfully every night.

He had already told Leslie that he was sent away to school when he was six years old; first by taxi, then by train and finally by bus. It was terrifying. He was very small for his age and shy. What if he got off at the wrong place? Would anyone look for him? He was embarrassed by the people looking at him and whispering. What was wrong? If only he could talk to Auntie Joan. Leslie understood how important Martin's aunt and uncle were to him, that they were the only people in his childhood who he loved and trusted and who loved him. He was sent away for every holiday to Auntie Joan's until he was eleven because it was an easy and cheap way to get rid of him. The reason given for the end of the visits was that Aunt Joan had complained that he was too much trouble for her. His bed wetting was a real problem and she just couldn't put up with it anymore. She didn't want him to come for any reason so, from that time on, he spent all his holidays at the school. As he got older and taller and gained a reputation for brilliance, most of the bullying stopped so school was preferable to home. And he found out later that is was all a big lie. It was just a way for his father to punish Joan and him.

There was a crushing memory that he had locked away in that secret place where he tried to put all the bad memories. And that was the place Leslie was determined to open. He was convinced that there was more to be discovered there.

The sessions were grueling for Martin – Leslie was encouraging him to chip away at that place in his memory. Sometimes he would get so agitated that he would stomp around the room yelling at Leslie. "Damn it! How in god's creation could that possibly affect my phobia? That what I'm seeing you for isn't it? To cure this bloody phobia? How is my horrible childhood possibly related to my life now? I was a child and was accustomed to being treated that way. My parents obviously saw something in me that made it impossible for them to care about me. I'm rubbish! The only thing about me that isn't rubbish is my brain!"

"Martin, you must know that isn't true. You're childhood helped shape you and, in some part, made you who you are. Thank god you have innately strong morals and strength within yourself! You would be dealing with a lot more than a blood phobia if you didn't. I've heard of the great Dr. Ellingham with the golden touch. You've garnered as much or more respect in the medical field as anyone I've ever known. I know that Chris Parsons thinks very highly of you and counts you as a friend. And I could name several others if necessary. And what about Louisa? Does she think you're rubbish? I don't think your parents were capable of love. You got stuck with crap parents and you're still paying for it today. They had the same opportunity that most other parents have – a child they could love and cherish, develop a relationship with, be proud of but they were incapable of normal parental feelings. None of that is your fault. Can you accept that fact?"

Martin just grunted non-committally in response so Leslie didn't push the point, just went on with the session. They would find a way for Martin to accept the truth about himself and his parents. He had so much about himself to be proud of!

"I want to talk a little more about your mother before our time is up. You said you think she enjoyed watching your father punish you. Why do you think that?"

Martin stood looking out the window for a few minutes struggling against nausea as he remembered his mother's face while she watched him get the worst beating he ever got. He started trembling and had a sheen of sweat on his face. He was swallowing convulsively. Leslie observed this behavior, made notes and said, "Martin? Sit down and we'll just talk generally about your mother." There was no response from Martin except a tiny shake of his head.

"Alright then, let's stop now. Think about your memories, make notes – even write them down for me if you can't talk about them. But, they have to come out one way or the other and dealt with if you are ever going to free of them. And don't forget your breathing exercises."

Martin walking quickly out the room without comment. He didn't want to remember! Crap parents was the perfect description of them. His desire was to never see them again. And he was sure they felt the same way. (He doesn't get this wish but that story is told later.)

Martin had an appointment for another counseling session. He would rather have a catheter inserted instead. After a few pleasantries that Martin didn't respond to, Leslie jumped right in to talking about the horrible mother.

"Martin, have you thought any more about your relationship with you Mother?"

"You've made it impossible for me to think of anything else!" He snapped!

"Tell me something that you've remembered that illustrates what you said about your mother. That she liked watching you being punished. Is there a memory like that?"

Martin sat thinking. Leslie could tell he was reliving something – something extremely painful. After a few minutes he began to talk and the story he related had Leslie making copious notes and doing his best to hide the anger and horrible sadness for the little boy who endured such treatment.

Martin walked across the room and stood looking blindly out of the window. Leslie knew that he did this when he was under the most stress. He started speaking.

He had knocked over the coat rack as he entered the front door. He was loaded down with his school paraphernalia and no one offered to help him close the door. As he turned around to push it closed, his case knocked over the coat rack, it fell against a small table and a vase of flowers fell off and the vase broke. It was his first day at home in nine months and, instead of a pleasant greeting, his mother screeched that he had broken her valuable vase and made a mess on the floor. And, the useless child did it on purpose! He was stuttering and stammering that, no, it was an accident and that he would clean it up. His father grabbed him by his coat collar, dragged him into his study, made him remove his coat and beat him with his leather belt until stripes covered his back and bottom. Then he had to apologize to his mother and clean up the mess before going to his room. He was to stay there until next morning without supper. He never could exactly identify the look on his mother's face – exhilarated, enthralled, pleased? That hurt worse than the beating. If only he wasn't so clumsy, so ugly. If only he was amusing or talented. He excelled at playing the piano but she said hearing him play gave her a headache. Nothing was good enough. Nothing was right. That's why they didn't love him.

He described this incident to Leslie in a monotone voice. His face looked so sad. He slowly shook he head and said "I accepted that neither of them care a damn about me a long time ago. All I can tell you is if you had seen her face when Dad was beating me, you would understand."

"I think that's enough for today. You've been through a very stressful session. I wish I could say they're going to get easier but I'm afraid they won't. There's something else there, hidden. I can see by the way you shy away from certain words sometimes that there's a trigger just waiting to be pulled to release some memory you've hidden at the very bottom of that pit. We'll work some more at that.

Now, I want you to go home and have a nice dinner with Louisa, sit on the sofa and read your bmj or go for a walk, anything that will help you relax. Then day after tomorrow, we'll attack this again."

He drove home too tired to even think about his session and returned to an empty surgery. Blast! He needed to see Louisa, to touch her, tell her he loved her. Leslie insisted that his phone be turned off during their sessions and, this time, he had forgotten to turn it back on. When he did, there was a message from Louisa. She would be at the surgery by 6:00 and could he please order take away from Bert. She was too knackered to cook and he usually was, too, after his sessions. Bert promised to bring it right away fresh from the cooker. He and Louisa walked through the door at the same time. Martin hoped fervently that Bert wouldn't linger and talk nonsense as he usually did.

"Sit down, sit down! Let me fix this all up for you. I'll even start the tea. And, I brought you some bottled of water. How's that for service! Doc you look plum done in and a woman 'in the family way' needs tender lovin' care. Right Louiser? You got a due date yet?"

Bert was too busy talking and setting their dinner on the table to notice the Doc's shocked face. His eyes immediately went to her rounded belly and then looked unbelievingly at her face. She placed her hands protectively over her belly and stared back at him with a little shrug of her shoulders.

"Well, Louiser, is it too early to tell what it is? Bet you're excited Doc. Things'll be different around here for sure."

"Yes, it's - and, no, I don't want to know what it is. A surprise you know."

"We'll have to throw you a shower! Ok, I'm finished. Now, you two enjoy your dinner and I'll see you later. Evenin'."

Martin was still sitting in stunned silence. Louisa dug out the money to pay for their dinner, said good bye and turned to look at him and chewed her lip. To break the silence, she asked "Do you want bread or rolls. He brought your favorites."

"How…when? I mean…"

"Well, I think you know _how_. As for when, I can only remember one time we didn't use a condom. The night Danny came to dinner. Remember? The midwife said I'm about fifteen weeks along so the timing fits."

"Why didn't you tell me? Good god, Louisa! Why?" And he got up and walked stiffly erect from the kitchen and into his consulting room and firmly shut the door.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Louisa sat alone in the kitchen. "Give him time. Give him time." Ran through her mind like a recording. Then she remembered what he had considered number one on the list – trust. Had she broken his trust in her? Could she make him understand her dilemma? The food was cold and she had completely lost her appetite so she put it all away and straightened the kitchen. If only he would say something to her! "Sod off, Louisa!" "Just go home. I need to think." "We never talked about a child you know. Did you consider the fact that I might not want to be a father?" "Studies show that single mothers are very successful raising a child alone. Of course, I will pay support." Anything would be better than this silence. She began to feel like a fool just sitting there but didn't think either of them was ready for a confrontation. "Give him time." She knocked softly on the consulting room door. No answer. "Martin?" Nothing. She spoke a little louder. "Martin, I'm going home now. The kitchen is straightened up. See you tomorrow. Love you." She left walking quickly and then began to run. "Please god, don't let anybody see me like this!" She entered her cottage losing the battle against tears. She collapsed on the sofa sobbing until she fell into an uneasy sleep.

Martin sat in wretched silence oblivious to time passing. Images of his father raced around his mind. What is he turned out like his father? Like his father? No! He would never strike a child but it would be starved emotionally. He would end up hurting the woman he loved more than anything ever in his miserable life and he would hurt the child. What a god awful father he would be. No! Louisa and their baby would be better off with him out of the picture. He couldn't stay in the village seeing them being pitied by everyone. "Poor woman! And the child. What a sod of man is the Doc!" He would call Chris. There must be somewhere he could go. Anywhere!

"Hello. Parsons here."

"Chris, it's Martin. I need to speak to you."

"Oh, ok. Give me time to take the phone downstairs so I don't wake the family."

After a couple of minutes, he spoke. "Martin? What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong. I have to transfer out of PortWenn, that's all. I can't be the gp here any longer. Is there an opening for me somewhere?"

"Hold on a sec. Why do you want to transfer? I don't have any complaints against you. As a matter of fact, things are going very well indeed. So, what's going on?"

"Yes, yes things are going well with the practice but I can't stay here. Do you or don't you have a place for me?"

"I'm sure we can work something out but, first, you have to tell me what's wrong. I have to have a reason, you know."

Martin hesitated before answering, not wanting to divulge personal information, and then realizing he would have to. "You've known me a long time and you know a little about my life with my parents. So tell me, do you think there's a chance that I would make a decent father? That's why I want to transfer."

"So Louisa is pregnant. Well done, mate! I never thought I'd be congratulating you for that! So, why is that so bad? It's bloody wonderful!"

"NO, it's not! I'll be a crap dad just like mine was. It's the only example I have."

"Martin, listen to me. I _have_ known you a long time and know for absolute certain that you are a decent man. I think so, Louisa thinks so as does Carol. The kids like you. I could go on but surely you get the point. You're capable of so much love and caring. Look at your relationship with Joan. You must stay and be a part of your family."

"Chris, I appreciate what you're saying but I don't know anything about babies!"

"Neither do most parents. Babies don't come with an instruction manual! I was terrified with our first one. I don't mean to sound sappy but the first time you see that strange little face and touch that tiny helpless body, you're hooked and can't believe you were ever scared." There was silence on the other end. "Martin? Martin? Are you still there?"

"Yes, I'm here."

"Do you trust me? Trust my judgment?"

"Of course I do! Your intellect and judgment have always been sound."

"All right then. I want you to go to Louisa. You should be with the woman you love, the mother of your child. She needs your reassurance and support right now. You've never shirked a responsibility ever since I've known you. Go to her and talk this over. At least do that before you make your decision. Will you do that?"

Again there was silence. Then, "Yes, I'll do as you suggest. I trust her judgment, too. Thanks for your help."

"No problem. Hope you let me know how it goes. And again, congratulations. I couldn't be happier for you both. And by the way, close the surgery tomorrow, bosses orders. I'll notify Wadebridge to expect your patients."

Martin could see that there were still lights on in the Louisa's cottage so he walked to her front door and said her name. He wasn't going to yell loudly enough for her nosy neighbors to hear or beat on the door. She didn't respond. He had hurt her so she must not want to talk to him. Just as he turned to walk away, she opened the door. Her eyes were red and swollen and her hair was a mess. And she still looked beautiful as she stood there staring at him.

He mumbled something and she tipped her head in confusion. "I didn't catch that. What did you say"

"I said I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what exactly?"

He still couldn't deal with all his emotions so he turned and left. She was cried out but told herself that at least he came. For a very _short_ visit but he came.

The thought entered his head – Auntie Joan. He could sort all this out with her. Still ignoring the lateness of the hour, he drove to the farm. Buddy starting barking as he pulled into the parking area and her bedroom light came on. She looked out the window and he pointed to the back door. She nodded and he got the key from the "hiding place" and let himself in.

He was exhausted but knew there was no way he would rest tonight. At least not until he said _something_ to Louisa. Auntie Joan started talking before she even reached the landing. "Marty? What's wrong? Is it Louisa? For god's sake, tell me what's wrong! Oh my, you look bloody awful! Sit down and I'll make some tea."

He sat wearily and thought "The English are so predictable with their tea; tired? Tea. Happy? Tea. Sad? Tea. Celebrate? Tea. Shoot yourself in the foot? Tea."

"Here we go. Drink some of that and then we'll talk."

He sipped the hot tea and it relaxed his throat. "I have news and a problem. First, Louisa is pregnant. She three and a half months and I never even noticed! I just thought she was putting on weight."

"Louisa's pregnant? Oh, Marty, that's the best news you could possibly give me! It's wonderful and Louisa will make a fantastic Mum. Marty! I'm so happy! Another little boy running around the farm. Just think!"

She finally calmed down enough to see that he certainly wasn't elated. Or even close to happy. "Ok Marty, what's the problem? You must have known that this could happen."

" _I'm_ the problem. You know what Dad was like. And Mum. They're the only training I've had in parenthood. I'm so afraid Auntie Joan."

"Well, I certainly know that your parents were bloody awful. But you're nothing…N-o-o! No! You can't possibly think that you'll be like your father? He's a total bastard! You're nothing like him. The only similarity is that you're both doctors. Full stop! It ends there. You've no reason to be afraid."

"But I am. You know what I'm like…"

"You stop right there! I know you Marty. Yes, you can be an arse but you are also dedicated, caring, the best doctor these parts have ever seen. I remember when you were a boy. If anything got injured - a bird, a chipmunk, whatever it was, you took care of it and fixed what was wrong. You worried and fussed over the lambs more than their mothers did! And, you used to love dogs. They followed you wherever you went. So don't tell me your bad points. I know them but I know more about your good points."

He poured them more tea and sat thinking about what she said. She was always so sensible and a rock to lean on. "Do you really think I'd be good with a baby? A child? What if I muck it up?"

"I swear Marty, I could almost do your parents bodily harm for what they've done to you!"

Her expression changed to one of contempt and anger. "You're father was bad enough but your mother! She was disgusting and vile! So many times I wanted to scream at her to take her filthy hands off you! She once said that she didn't want you to touch her, that you were _germ ridden_. How ridiculous."

Martin froze, his expression was one of intense concentration. His hands started shaking so much that tea splashed on the table.

"Marty? Marty? What's wrong son? Marty, talk to me!" Joan had rushed around the table and embraced him. He started gagging and staggered to the bin and vomited. He stood there, shuddering and shoulders heaving. "Auntie Joan?"

"Yes, Marty. Tell me what's wrong, please. Can I do anything?"

"I need to go to the loo, now! I'm almost ready to wet myself but I'm not sure I can walk to it."

"Here, lean on me. There we go. Lean on the sink and I'll shut the door."

He came out a few minutes later looking, as the saying goes, as white as a ghost.

"Marty, are you alright? Please come sit back down. What's happened to you?"

"I'm alright. You just made me remember something."

He embraced her and laid his cheek against her head. "You used to stand this way with me. Remember?"

"Of course I remember. You were and are my boy. Are you sure you're alright? You can stay here tonight if you need to, you know. But, if you can drive, you should be with Louisa."

"Yes, I'm sure I'm alright and I'm going to Louisa's cottage and beg her, if necessary, to let me in. Good night Auntie Joan. And thank you for everything."

He called Louisa from his car and she answered straight away.

"Louisa, I'm just leaving Auntie Joan's. Can I come to your cottage?"

"Of course you can come to me anytime for anything. But, we have to talk. Right?"

"I'll be there in twenty minutes."

She was standing at the door to greet him. She stepped back and waited.

He took a deep breath and said "Again, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for the way I acted. I was surprised but mostly afraid. And I'm happy about the baby. But, may we please talk about it tomorrow? You look like you're out on your feet and that's not good for the baby or you. As for me, I just want to sleep with you and our child. Tomorrow, I'll call Leslie. I need an appointment as soon as possible and I want you to come with me. This isn't a story that I want to tell more than once. Will you do that?"

She looked at his face so lined with weariness and felt a rush of love and gratitude that this incredible and complicated man loved her and was the father of her child. She nodded and took his hand and led him up the stairs, helped him undress and they went to bed without a word spoken. He was more grateful than he could say and laid with his arm under her neck and wrapped around her shoulders. The other arm lay protectively across her waist with his hand resting on the baby. And they slept.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Louisa woke early and called the school secretary to say that she would be out for the next two days for personal reasons. In an emergency, they were to call the head of the board and she would call and let him know. Then she crept back under the covers and snuggled against Martin's warm solid body. They didn't wake until mid-morning and took the opportunity to lie under the warm covers for a while longer – a luxury that neither had very often. Holding her close was wonderful but he, at least, needed to get up and call Leslie. They both rose and he went to make the some calls and lay out items for breakfast while she used the loo. She cooked while he had his turn.

"Did you get in touch with Dr. Timberland?" she asked.

"Yes. He can see us at 4:00 this afternoon. He's going to set aside extra time just in case we need it. I also called Auntie Joan and she wants us to come to dinner tonight. That ok?"

"Yes, we can tell her about the baby."

"She already knows so be prepared for an ecstatic greeting. She's happier than I can remember seeing her."

"Are you ready to talk to me about the baby?"

"Yes, I think so." He leaned his elbows on the table and shook head back and forth in some amazement "I realize now how patient she and Chris were…"

"Chris? You talked to him, too?"

"I did."

"And Joan. I can sort of understand talking to Joan instead of me – barely! – but Chris? You were able to talk to them but not me? How am I supposed to take that?" Her tight lips signaled the beginning of anger. "I waited here for hours not knowing where you were and imagining all sorts of things. Then you _finally_ show up and you're too tired to talk! No wonder you were too tired! You talked all night, just not to me!"

He looked at her in confusion and said "I don't understand why you're upset. I just…"

"Of course you don't! I'm going to take a shower and go on in to work. You should go home and, on the way, find some more people to talk to! Stop by Mrs. Tishell's why don't you!"

He heard her mumbling under her breath "Jackass!" and watched in amazement as she stomped up the stairs and slammed the bedroom door. He should apologize but for what he didn't know. Her hormones acting up maybe? He cleared up the kitchen, went up stairs and started dressing. She was right about one thing, he did want to go home and clean up. She came out of the loo still drying off and looked at him like he was a pile of smelly dog poo, her lips still tight and eyes bright with anger. She jerked open drawers and slammed the closet door shut.

He would never get tired of looking at that curvaceous body! It hit him again that their baby was in that womb. Her flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes made her face so beautiful. "Louisa, I think this behavior you're exhibiting is directly related to the hormones caused…"

She whipped around to glare at him with fists clenched by her sides, "Oh no you don't! Don't you dare try to palm this off on hormones! I have every right to be angry with you! This is our child! Our baby! And you go running around the countryside talking to everyone about it but me! Maybe I should have talked to Joe or Roger and eventually gotten around to you! How would that feel?"

"I wouldn't like it. But, I ask you to remember that you _didn't_ tell me about it but talked to Bert instead. Why is that acceptable?"

"I _did not_ talk to Bert! He's just more observant than you are!"

He was silent for a moment watching as she jerked her clothes on and rushed around like she couldn't wait to get out of the room and away from him.

"Louisa? Louisa, please let me explain. I never for a moment meant to hurt you. Yes, that's our baby and I'm happy about it."

Grabbing shoes out of the closet and putting them on, she asked "What did you say to them that you couldn't say to me? What" and she choked a little over the next word, "comfort did you get from them that you couldn't have gotten from me?"

"I wasn't looking for comfort from anyone. My first instinct was to leave PortWenn. That's why I called Chris. I asked him to place me somewhere else as a gp."

She turned and looked at him, still glaring and snarled with cutting sarcasm "Well, _that makes me feel so much better_! And I bet you heroically said you would support us. Right?"

"Of course I did and there wasn't anything 'heroic' about it. Just the right thing to do. But you don't understand why I was afraid. You don't know my parents. Chris and Auntie Joan do."

That caught her attention and she stopped moving around to look at him. "What do your parents have to do with our baby?"

"You've heard me mention that my father struck me and locked me in a dark cupboard under the stairs for punishment. What I didn't say was to what extent those things happened. I know now that I suffered from physical and mental abuse as a child. Leslie thinks my phobia is somehow related to that abuse. When you told me about the baby, images of my father started flooding my mind. I was afraid of acting like him, afraid of hurting you and the baby."

Louisa sat down on the bed, her anger gone. He pulled up a chair so that he could look at her face while they talked.

"So I called him to ask for a transfer. We've known each other for years and he's familiar with my background. He was very encouraging and sends his congratulations by the way."

She nodded and said, "I must call Carol and him. It wasn't meant to be a secret."

"He convinced me to at least talk to you before I made the final decision to leave and talked about everybody being afraid with their first child. That I'm nothing like my father. I know there was some exaggeration in the things he said about being a new parent but they were still comforting. He's a natural father and jumped into being one the first time he saw their baby. I was at the hospital with them and I'll never forget their faces. I'd never seen anything like it. That's when I came here and behaved with such clarity and gallantry! I'm embarrassed to remember it."

She grinned weakly and begged him to _never_ repeat such a stunning performance. It truly should remain one of a kind.

Smiling back at her, he agreed "Right. I'll put that in my 'not to do book'! Anyway, I then went to see Auntie Joan. She's absolutely potty about me being a father. And as expected, she certainly gave me a lot of encouragement. She also made me remember something. Just the memory almost made me wet my pants and I threw up. That's what I want to discuss with Leslie. I'm sure it's important. Do you still plan on going with me?"

"Yes, of course I will. I called early this morning and said I was taking the next two days off. That gives us four days together. How about the surgery?"

"Bosses orders to close today but I'll close tomorrow and Saturday, too. Now, I have a question for you. _Why_ didn't you tell me about the baby? You just said it wasn't supposed to be a secret and yet I had to find out that I'm going to be a father from _Bert_? Why?"

She sighed and answered "I know this isn't going to sound believable but I just found out for sure myself Monday a week ago when I bought a pregnancy test. Then I went to see a midwife in Truro and she confirmed it – fifteen weeks. Now almost seventeen weeks. I felt it move yesterday. It was like a feather tickling me."

"I don't understand. How could you not know? And that far along?"

"My periods are always erratic and light so I just didn't notice that I hadn't had one. Plus, you're on my mind quite a bit. When I did find out, there just didn't seem to be a good time to tell you. And, I wasn't sure how you would take the news. I'm so happy about it but what if you weren't? So I stalled. I'm sorry."

He moved to her side and embraced her "I already know that you'll be a lovely mom and if I don't act like a good father, then you give me one of your 'looks' and that will terrify me into trying harder. Please believe me when I say that I _am_ going to try."

He stood up and said "Now, I want to go home and clean up. By the time I'm finished and we drive to Truro, it will be lunch time. We could eat there and then walk in one of the parks until it's time for the appointment - or - is it too early to look at baby furniture? And, if we live at the surgery, the guest room will need to be cleaned out." She gave him a quick glance when she heard the 'if we live at the surgery' remark. A little presumptuous of him! "Do you want to spend the day that way? Or do you have another idea?"

"No, that sounds lovely. And looking at baby furniture makes it seem more real somehow. I mean, it's real, but not real at the same time. Does that sound crazy?"

"I have no idea. It certainly seems like a dream or fantasy to me! Talking about it should make it more real for both of us. Finish getting dressed and walk to the surgery with me."

"I _am_ dressed. See?" She looked at him quizzically as she stood up and pirouetted.

"Yes, you're dressed if you don't mind your top being inside out and backwards. And, that you're wearing two different shoes."


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Martin tried to act at ease during their drive to Truro but, in truth, he was anxious about the session scheduled for later that day. He knew that the memory was important and, based on his reaction to it last night, today should be extremely traumatic – for him and Louisa. Maybe she shouldn't accompany him after all. This should be a day of happiness but that emotion for him didn't seem to measure up to what other people like Louisa experienced. She chatted about the baby, the nursery, things it would need (amazing the number of things deemed necessary for the health and well being of an infant), possible god fathers and mothers and so on. Since his contributions to most conversations were usually brief, she didn't pick up on his reserve. Then she stopped talking and stared at her belly, up at him and then down again. "He's moving. Strong movements this time." A few moments later, she took his hand and placed the palm right at the top of her belly. She whispered in awe "Feel that? Can you feel it? That's our baby!"

He pulled the car into a lay by, turned to face her and, like her, stared at her belly. A smile crept across his face as he nodded. "Yes, I feel it." They stayed like that for a couple of minutes more and the faint movement stopped. "Aren't you due for your first ultrasound?"

Her hand still feeling for more movements, she answered "Yes, next Thursday at 4:00. I'm leaving work at 2:00 and will take the bus into Truro. The midwife said we'll get a picture of him."

He answered sharply "Humph! I have a couple of issues with that! First, you will _not_ ride the bus because I will certainly take you every time you have an appointment unless something _really_ unexpected happens. And in that circumstance, you'll travel by taxi. Second, why do you keep saying 'he'?"

With a satisfied look on her face, she announced "Because it feels like a boy. I know it's a boy."

"Nonsense! You can't possibly know the sex. They'll tell us that when the ultrasound shows it." He informed her.

"It may be total nonsense but it's still a boy." She assured him. "And, I don't want them to tell us the sex. I want to be surprised."

With what she considered to be male smugness, he stated "Now you're really being ridiculous! You 'know' it's a boy but you want to be surprised!"

"Go ahead and make fun! You'll see when the time comes – it's a boy. So we need to think of names for boys."

Snorting, he informed her "I will not engage in anything that foolish. And _I_ want to know the sex as soon as possible."

"Suit yourself. Just don't tell me and we still need names for boys!"

He rolled his eyes and pulled back onto the road feeling considerably more relaxed and, dare he think it, happy. Definitely something new to think about.

They found a lovely little bistro that overlooked a park and enjoyed a light lunch. Showing his usual concern or her, he questioned "Have you thought about a diet that would be best for the baby? You should be eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats and fish, low sodium and certainly low fat foods and whole grain breads. Do you need help developing a proper diet?"

"Hm-m-m, that sounds a lot like the diet we eat just about every day. Except for the odd Chocolate Digestive or two. And, yes, the midwife gave me a diet especially designed for mothers to be and talked about proper weight gain and said that I'm exactly where I should be at this point. Do you want to see the diet?"

"Of course I want to see it. And, we'll get some good pre-natal vitamins from Mrs. Tissell. Louisa, we've discussed the unnecessary fat and calories you absorb from Choco…"

She threw up a hand and ordered "Stop! Eating one or two biscuits occasionally won't hurt me but being without chocolate certainly would! And, I've already got the vitamins from the hospital pharmacy. Ok, are you ready to leave? I looked up two baby stores and one is just around the corner. This is exciting!"

Giving up the fight about her beloved biscuits, he sighed and said "Yes, it is. Let's get started then."

He was overwhelmed by all the choices. "They're just beds for heaven's sake! The baby will sleep in it whether it's white or brown, has ducks painted on it or nothing painted on it. It just a bed!" he thought. But, he certainly got a lesson on what was important to all the women in the shop. The 'oohs' and 'ahs' and the 'oh, how adorables' uttered by them sounded so foreign. He very seldom knew when to keep his opinions to himself but, thank goodness, he did today. He found a bench to sit on while Louisa examined every stroller, bed, high chair and play pen in the store. Then she started on the clothes. It was fortunate that they had the appointment to go to or she would have stayed there until they closed at 6:00.

Joyfully she pulled a book out of a shopping bag and held it up "I did buy one thing – just had to have it! This is the book I bought for Al when he was a baby. It was his first book and he loved it. See, it's a counting and ABC book. So glad I found it!"

Nodding in approval, he said "I bought one, too. It's a children's book on anatomy. Very accurate pictures but not as detailed as I would like."

She choked back a laugh and told him that it was a wonderful choice and she was sure that the baby would enjoy studying small intestines. Totally missing the gentle teasing, he enthusiastically agreed.

They were walking back to the car and coming towards them was a woman and child walking a dog. It was a young dog and the boy was so proud of it, frequently petting and praising its good behavior. Louisa noticed Martin staring with what she could only call it curiosity and not the usual disgust he exhibited when he saw a dog. He stopped walking to watch them until they turned a corner and went out of sight. She nudged his arm and said "It's getting close to time for your appointment. Is it far from here?" He continued to stare at the place where the boy and dog turned the corner and she nudged him and asked "Martin? Is it very far?"

He opened the car door for her and replied "Not too far. We'll be in plenty of time but I've been thinking. Remembering this incident is very difficult for me and I don't know how I'll react to it. Maybe you should wait in the lobby."

"Of course I want to be with you, to support you but this is your counseling, your session. I'll leave that decision up to you. Fair enough?"

He quickly and firmly answered "I want you with me. Your presence, I guess the word for it, is calming. Just promise me that if it gets too bad or distressing for you that you'll leave the room."

She touched his cheek tenderly and said "I promise but it will take a lot to make me leave you. I'm surprised that you're not tense right now."

"I was very tense when we left PortWenn but when I felt the baby move…I don't have words to describe how I felt and it gave me something else to think about. Something positive. Of course, I may be worrying over nothing. My reaction last night might have gotten it out of my system." He tried to reassure both of them.

She used her teacher's voice when she said "Now I want a promise from you – don't hold back to protect me. You and Dr. Timberland talk as you normally do."

He pulled into an empty parking lot. "He said he left the afternoon open for us. I just hope it doesn't take that long."

He opened her car door and, with a tight grip on her hand, they entered the office.

Leslie came out to greet them, offering his hand to Louisa. "Hello, I'm Dr. Leslie Timberland but please call me Leslie."

"Hello, I'm Louisa Glasson and please call me Louisa. It's so nice to meet you."

"Yes. Hello Martin. Come through, please."

Martin nodded in response to the greeting and entered the consulting room. He and Louisa took seats across from Leslie's desk.

Leslie sat behind his desk with hands folder and started "I know you're not one for small talk so let's get to it. You said that your Aunt Joan made you remember something and that it was very traumatic. Can you tell me about it?"

Martin got up and walked to the window and stood looking out, blind to the view.

Leslie, recognizing that Martin was in the spot he always went to when he was under stress. "Just take your time. We have all afternoon."

Martin sighed and said "I found out something about Louisa that surprised me – very much. I couldn't talk to her about it and hid in my office like an idiot. Wanted to run away like an idiot. Instead, I went to talk to Auntie Joan. She knows about my parents and the fact that they abused me. I guess I wanted her to reassure me that she believes I am _not_ like my father and do _not_ act like him. That I never could. She gave me that reassurance and made me realize something about myself. Something vital. I could _never_ hit a child! Especially my own. It's so cowardly to use your superior strength and brute force to dominate someone smaller and weaker. My child will not be treated that way!"

Leslie looked questioningly at Louisa and she nodded yes and placed her hand on her belly. He gave her a quick smile and thumbs up before turning his attention back to Martin.

Martin continued, talking slowly "My thoughts were all about my father that night so she surprised me when she started talking about my mother." His voice got lower and expressionless. His shoulders were slumped and his head bent. "She used words that brought back a most _hideous_ memory. I almost wet my pants and I threw up. I used her shoulder to balance myself going to the loo. I was shattered."

Leslie asked "Can you tell me what the words were and the significance of them? Do you want a glass of water?"

Thinking about the previous night, Martin nodded his head "Yes. And a bin just in case."

He drank the water and asked for another glass. His throat was so dry!

"She used some of the words my mother often did and mostly about me; disgusting, vile, filthy, germ ridden." Each word was staccato and the pronunciation exaggerated. "The expression on Auntie's face! She never looks like that. So angry! Mother either looked indifferent or angry around me and often said my behavior was disgusting, that I was disgusting." He stopped talking and stood with fists clenched lost in his memory.

Leslie always found it hard to stay professional when hearing about child abuse and it was difficult for him to keep his voice calm. "Martin? Do you want to stop this? Continue the story at another time?"

Martin looked up almost surprised to find other people in the room with him. "NO! I want to finish this and never talk about it again!" He sighed deeply and continued "A puppy showed up at our house when I was seven or eight. I remember thinking how special he was, how smart and how lucky I was that he came to live with me. I knew my parents wouldn't tolerate any animal around the house so I hid him in the garden shed. I slipped food out to him and managed to keep him a secret until the gardener found him two days later. He tied a rope so tightly around his neck that the dog was choking. My mother came outside to see what he wanted and saw the dog. She was furious and screamed at me to come outside immediately. Of course I did and saw what he was doing to the dog."

Martin stopped talking and drank some more water. He started shaking his head 'no' and pounding a fist into the palm of his other hand. "I don't know why I thought that I could convince her to let me keep it but I tried. I remember _begging_ her not to hurt it. God, I'll never beg for anything else for the rest of my life! She held my arms tightly, digging her long fingernails into them cutting little half moons that bled. She told the gardener to kill the dog. I was crying and trying to reach the dog to loosen the rope around his neck. He was dying and I wanted to free him and run away. He tightened the noose and the dog died right in front of me." He started repeating his words and shaking his head "My mother was digging her nails into me, my mother, her nails…" He stopped and threw up violently. He wiped his streaming eyes and ran for the loo.

They could hear him shuddering and gagging. Leslie looked at Louisa in concern – her face was pale as she cried silently, blindly searching for a tissue in her purse. He quickly handed her a box and turned away to provide them both needed privacy. No child should have to endure such treatment, especially from someone the child would normally look to for love and guidance.

Martin came back into the room without looking at either one of them and took his stance at the window.

"She was screaming that I was disgusting and vile and that the dog was filthy. She never wanted to touch me again because I was covered in germs. I shouted at her for the first and only time in my life that the dog was _not_ filthy and that I _did not_ have germs! She looked stunned that I would dare shout at her. She slapped me hard across my face hitting my nose and it started bleeding. The front of my shirt was soaking with blood and my bloody arms were staining the sleeves of my shirt. She started…snarling is the word that best described her voice, 'You filthy little bastard! You've got blood on your new shirt. How dare you get blood on your shirt!' Then she told the gardener to throw the dog into the bin and get rid of it. She pulled me into the house and forced me into the cupboard. I stayed there for what seemed like hours covered in blood and pee and vomit. The maid let me out after my parents left to go to a party. She thought I must be hungry so she gave me steak to eat. It was rare like my Dad liked it and when I looked at it, I threw up again. The next morning I was shipped off to school. I tried talking to my father about it. He called me a nancy and said my mother was right about me and they would both be better off with me gone. Mother didn't come down to breakfast so I didn't get the chance to apologize. I started wetting the bed after that. And all that was over a dog! I could never bear to have a dog around me from then on! That's what Auntie Joan made me remember. I remember how the blood smelled. The blood..." He threw up again and staggered back to the loo.


	21. Chapter 21

**I want to give credit to one my followers for helping me – robspace54. I love his stories and admire his writing skills so when he gave me advice, I tried my best to follow it. He had trouble figuring out who was speaking and had to reread chapter 19 because I failed to structure my sentences correctly. I'm sorry if you also found it difficult. He advised me on how to make the next chapters easier to read and I greatly appreciate his help. His insight is very valuable to me and I want to certainly thank him for his help.**

 **I took a little liberty with Martin's name. Hope nobody minds.**

Chapter 21

Leslie and Louisa sat in stunned silence. How could things like that happen to a child? She trembled and choked back sobs as she walked to the loo and stood waiting for him to come out, forehead resting on the door. They could hear him retching and then the sound of water splashing. Leslie was more experienced in dealing with stories like this and better able to control his emotions. Concerned for Louisa and the effect her distress would have on Martin, he got up and silently offered her a glass of water.

When Martin came out of the loo, he was composed but completely colorless and walked by her without saying a word. He picked up the bin and went back to the loo to clean it. He came out again and didn't look at either of them. Just sat down, shoulders slumped and hands folded. Louisa went behind him, embraced his neck and kissed his cheek and the top of his head. "Martin, I'm so sorry that happened to you. You are such a wonderful person and you deserved better. I'm so sorry."

He grasped her hand and nodded.

Leslie had to clear his throat before he could speak "Martin, the first thing I want to say to you is that only a strong person with innate goodness and honor could survive a childhood like yours and grow into a decent human being. Do you still think you somehow deserved their abuse?"

Louisa moved to her chair, scooting it close to his and held his hand tightly between hers.

He looked up at Leslie and said emphatically "Not anymore. No child deserves that kind of treatment. No child – ever!"

"No Martin they don't. And I'm glad to hear you say that you bore no responsibility for your parent's actions. It's all on them. "

Martin nodded and weariness washed over him. "I want to stop now. Give us both time to think about this." And he stood up ready to leave.

Leslie stood and nodding his head yes, "I agree. This is a tremendous amount to analyze and think about. I have some theories but need time to develop them. You're exhausted. Go home and rest. Of course you're going to think about this and it's going to be very difficult for you. Is it possible that you're remembering through a child's eyes and thus may have exaggerated the experience? Think about that, too."

Passing a hand wearily over his forehead, Martin replied "All I can do is try. I'll see you Tuesday for my appointment. Thank you for making room for me today."

Leslie walked around his desk as he said "I was glad to do it. Louisa, it was a pleasure meeting you. You're welcome anytime." He walked them out and they said goodbye.

Louisa, tired herself, could only imagine how he must feel. "Martin, are you well enough to drive? Why not let me and you can relax. It's about an hour to Joan's so you could even take a nap."

He shook his head "I'm fine, really. Let's just go. I'm getting hungry."

She stopped walking and said "Me, too. Stop a moment please." He turned to face her with a questioning look. "I don't tell you enough how proud I am of you. Proud that you love me and are the father of my child. I love you, Martin James Ellingham, with all my heart." And in spite of their standing in a public parking lot, she stretched up and kissed him with all the tenderness that was in her to give. He nodded and, trying to speak, managed a grunt. They got in the car and left.

It wasn't long until they had a view of the sea and the sun was low on the horizon. It was glorious to look at and she said "I feel so fortunate to live where I live – the most beautiful place in England. The sunset will be wonderful."

He just nodded and stayed silent until they reached the farm. They entered the kitchen and it was an explosion for the senses. Baked herbed chicken, roasted potatoes, steamed broccoli and carrots and creamed turnips – all fresh from the farm.

"Come in, come in. Louisa, let me take your purse. And, Marty will you take off you jacket? No? Ok. It's just about ready and you've just enough time to wash up."

He had always helped her in the kitchen so it was natural for him to ask "Can't we help Auntie Joan?"

Louisa nodded and offered "Yes, can't we help? It smells heavenly!"

Joan bustled around laying the table and dishing up the food. "No, I've got it all under control. Just go wash up and we'll eat. I hope you're hungry."

Joan took one look at Martin and knew that he was exhausted and wanted to eat without a lot of talk. The chicken was cooked to perfection and seasoned with fresh herbs from her garden. The vegetables were crisp tender just the way he liked them and she used fat free sour cream in the creamed turnips instead of butter. And fresh fruit for afters.

Martin and Louisa cleaned up the kitchen and then Joan suggested taking their coffee to the veranda to enjoy the cool evening. The sun was setting and the sky turned from blue to shades of azure, lilac and pink. Then the stars started coming out, the moon was full and the night sounds were so familiar. Martin could remember evenings spent like this with Uncle Phil and Auntie Joan so many years ago. They bought a telescope and he and Uncle Phil would find the constellations and track their movements.

Louisa groaned and said "Oh crikey, I'm full! Joan, you and Martin are the best cooks in the village. Thank you for everything."

Joan's snort sounded so like the ones from Martin that Louisa thought there could be no doubt that they were both Ellinghams. "You don't need to thank me. I like to cook. How's my great nephew tonight?"

Louisa giggled a little and said "He moved today and Martin felt it. We went to a baby store and looked at furniture and, oh Joan! It's going to be so much fun to decorate the nursery. So many choices! I'm thinking of an alphabet theme. What do you think?"

"It sounds perfect since the Mom is a teacher. I hope you let me do something to help."

"Of course! Wait…he's moving." She stood in front of Joan and placed her hand on the spot. Joan held perfectly still for several seconds. She smiled broadly. " He's stopped. Oh my! A baby! But why are we saying 'he' instead of it?"

Louisa looked at Martin to see if he wanted to answer but he just shook his head and stayed silent. "Because I think it's a boy. I told Martin that it just feels like a boy but he thinks it's nonsense. It may be but I'm thinking of names for boys. We might have a girl named Rupert Jebediah!"

Joan laughed and offered Ebrert Snefrin as a choice. Louisa choked with laughter and said "How about Ignacius Gaggeldy Aberdeen?"

Martin entered the conversation with a "Humph! Not likely! I do have some ideas for both sexes but we have plenty of time to talk about them." He stood and pulled Joan into an embrace. "We're tired Auntie Joan. This has been very pleasant but we're going home. That is if Louisa is ready to go."

Louisa stood up, stretched and yawned hugely. "It's been lovely but I'm knackered. Let's go home."

Joan looked quizzically at him "So you're not going to tell me about today and your session?"

He shook his head "No. Maybe later but not now. Let's walk back and I'll wash the cups before we leave."

"Nonsense! I'll take care of the cups. You two go home and relax. Take care of my great-nephew and I'll probably see you tomorrow in the village."

She walked them to the car, hugged them both and watched as they drove away.

They had both showered, put on their pajamas and were sitting in the lounge. He was looking with unseeing eyes at the latest bmj. She filed her nails and gave him frequent glances. He shook his head in frustration and rubbed his hands over his eyes sighing heavily. Time for a change of subject. At least she could try. A pregnant woman strutting around doing a strip tease sounded funny instead of erotic. But a direct approach sounded good and it had worked before. She scooted over close to him and leaned her head on his shoulder. No response. She stroked his arm and still nothing. She switched to his torso, making little circles with her finger. Nope. Next running her hand up his thigh to very private territory. That worked! He turned to look at her. She narrowed her eyes and slowly licked her lips while her hand was busy lower down. "Can you guess what I have in mind, my handsome man? "

He took her hand and held it. "I don't think I… I'm just so tired. Maybe tomorrow night if that's ok with you. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry my love. I thought it would help you relax but it's ok. Like you said, tomorrow night. I'm tired, too, so I'll go up. Be sure to tell me good night even if I doze off." She kissed his cheek and went up to bed. This was the first time he had turned her down and she couldn't help but be hurt just a little. "For god's sake Louiser! Get a grip! He's been through hell and back today and your pride is hurt that he doesn't want to snog!" She got into bed, adjusted the covers several times, flopped down and tried to sleep. Of course, the harder she tried, the less she felt like sleeping. Her book was downstairs but there had to be something to read up here. She found bmj's on his nightstand. Oh well, better than nothing. She leafed through one and found nothing that she could even pretend to understand. Feeling even lower, she went back downstairs, peeked in on him and saw that he had dozed off. She quietly opened the front door and went out to sit on the stairs. The lights were twinkling in the houses and in the harbor. It was certainly a beautiful sight. She thought that it was a shame that Martin's sodding parents still had so much power over him. She started to get sleepy and decided in just a few more minutes, she would go in.

Mean while, Martin woke and went upstairs to go to bed. Where was she? Surely he didn't upset her enough that she would go back to her cottage! And without saying goodbye? Oh shit! She said it was ok! He hurriedly put clothes on over his pajamas, tried to ring her as he ran down the stairs and out the door. He almost fell over her, and as most people act when relieved, he started shouting. "What in god's name are you doing out here? I've looked everywhere for you! You couldn't take the time to just tell me what you planned on doing? Do you realize how worried I was?"

She stood up and, with hands on hips, faced him and shouted back at him. "You were asleep! I was just being considerate and it's not like I went on the cliff walk for heaven's sake! And what do you mean – you looked _everywhere_ for me? Let's count - loo, kitchen, consulting room. That's a whopping three places! Tell me, how long did it take you? And don't you yell at me!"

He answered, still shouting "I'm not yelling! I certainly wouldn't leave _you_ without saying where I was going!"

She tilted her head and said in her sweetest voice with more than a touch of sarcasm "Oh really? What about last night?"

That stopped his tirade and he sounded almost sulky when he replied. "Well, I was worried when I couldn't find you. You did say you were going to bed you know."

He had been through enough today and she really didn't mean to upset him so she immediately lowered her voice and explained "Yes, I did but I couldn't sleep. It's been an upsetting day and I really didn't mean to worry you. Are you ready for bed or would you like a cup of tea first?"

He held the door open for her and answered "Bed I think. I'm tired and I assumed you would be, too. You did say you were."

"Yes, I did and sitting out here has made me sleepy. Go on up and I'll lock the doors and then join you."

They were in bed and each turned toward their side of the bed, neither wanting to be the first to make a move. He couldn't take it anymore. He needed to feel her next to him. Nothing sexual about it, he just needed to touch her.

He whispered "Louisa?"

"Hm?"

"I'm sorry about earlier but it was a very…difficult afternoon."

"It's ok Martin. I was there you know." She turned toward him and snuggled against his warm back with her arm draped over his waist. "Now I can sleep! You feel _so_ good. Love you."

He took her hand, slid it under his tee shirt and pressed it to his chest. "Thank you. Good night." To his surprise, he didn't dream. Just slept soundly until the next morning when the sea gulls woke him with their screeching.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

They felt groggy when they woke up and so unready to face the day. They had both become lax with their exercise schedules and were determined to get back on track. Besides keeping them in shape, it relieved stress for Martin.

After lying with his eyes closed for a few minutes, he lightly smacked her bottom and said with stern resolve. "Time to get up Louisa. We promised ourselves that we were going to resume our exercise routines."

"Umph! Just a few more minutes _Dad_! Please?"

"Really Louisa, it will make us both feel better if we exercise. It certainly helps relieve stress."

She groaned and swung her legs off the bed "You're right. I'm going to the leisure center but first have to go home and change. I still wish you'd go with me some day. Just for company."

He had on a tee shirt put on boxer shorts. He opened his arms and nodded at his underwear and said "This is all I need for what I do here. But if I start going to the center with you, I'll have to buy proper clothing. Not looking forward to that!"

"Well Mar-tin, we all have to make sacrifices to remain young and beautiful!" She quickly dressed in the same clothes she had worn the day before and hurried out the door.

She made a quick stop at her cottage and changed into her bathing suit and jogging outfit. She definitely needed a bigger swim suit! Her baps were ready to burst out of the top. The cold water was so invigorating! It felt wonderful to swim again. He had finished and just gotten out of the shower when she got back. Her hair was loose and still damp from her shower and she was dressed in a pair of comfortable denim shorts, tee shirt and sandals. She sat on the bed and watched as he dressed in his usual suit and tie. His idea of dressing down was no cuff links. She smiled and thought that anybody who saw them wouldn't believe they were a couple. He noticed the smile and asked what it was for. She told him what she was thinking. "We couldn't look any more different today if we tried!"

He was silent or a moment and then asked "Does it bother you that I dress like this? I like to look professional, you know, and I'm comfortable in these clothes."

She assured him. "No, Martin! You always look so smart and sophisticated! I like to dress down and be comfortable when I'm not at work. You dress the way _you're_ comfortable. It's ok with me. Did you mean what you said about 'proper clothing'? Does that mean bathing shorts, trainers and jogging pants? _Can_ you swim?"

He buttoned his jacket and looked at her in surprise as he answered "Of course I can swim. It was mandatory that all students at my school play some kind of sport. Swimming appealed to me because it was just me, the water and the stop watch. And yes, I suppose I meant the clothes you mentioned. Do you want to go shopping with me today?"

Careful to keep her enthusiasm in check, she replied "Sure. Mr. Ben's has a good selection of sport and exercise clothes if you want to try there." She might finally see him in something besides a suit!

After eating a healthy breakfast and reading the morning paper, she decided that she wanted clarification on what he had said the other day. She thought about his counseling and that Leslie warned that it would be very difficult. Be patient, yes. Be supportive, yes. Try to act normally around him, yes. But he had to live his life even while going through counseling and so did she. Dwelling on it endlessly would be harmful.

"Martin, you said something yesterday that I want to discuss."

"Yes?"

"You said 'if we live at the surgery, the guest room will need to be cleaned out'.

"So? We can't very well use it as a nursery the way it is right now can we?"

"No, we can't but that's not the point. You said 'if _we_ live at the surgery'. There's been no discussion about us living together. What does that mean?"

"Mean? It's obvious isn't it? Your cottage is entirely too small for both of us and a baby so you either sell or lease it and move in here. I want us to marry. Doesn't that make sense to you?"

"So you're proposing to me?"

"Well, yes. You're surprised? Of course I want us to marry."

She didn't answer him. She wanted to marry him, to have a family with him but this certainly didn't feel like a proposal. She needed time to think about this. What if he wanted to marry just because of the baby?

He went upstairs and when he came back down he handed her the box from Auntie Joan. "It was my grandmother's ring and Auntie Joan wants you to have it. If you don't like it, we can look for another one."

She sat there quietly holding the box and couldn't think of anything to say. What a let down!

"Well, aren't you going to open it? Is something the matter?"

"Yes. You just seem so casual about this, like it's… sort of…well, no big deal. Can't you at least _ask_ me if I want to marry you? Is this supposed to be an engagement ring?"

"Ask you? You mean on bended knee? Why in the world would you want that? I want us to get married. Simple. And I've already said that if you don't like the ring, we'll get another one."

" _You_ want. What about what _I_ want?"

He looked at her in confusion. She said she loved him. He loved her. They were having a child together. A child should have two parents. All good reasons to marry. "I don't understand. Don't you want to marry me? I think it's a good idea."

She looked at that lovely, confused face and remembered the list. Look at his body language and it was telling her that he wanted to marry her because he loved her. And that was wonderful.

"Yes, Martin. I'm proud and happy to marry you." And she opened the box and put the ring on. A tad big but that was an easy fix. "We're officially engaged." He just nodded and went back to reading the newspaper. She sat admiring her ring.

Going shopping with Martin was certainly quick. Women liked to feel, touch, examine, try on and compare. Not Martin. He flicked quickly through the bathing shorts rack, chose a dark blue pair with white dolphins on them, a black jogging outfit and black running shorts. Louisa stood back out of the way, amused at his technique. Mrs. Fenton was assisting him and discovered that he not only didn't need help, he didn't particularly want it. He found everything he wanted except shoes. His feet were rather large so he would have to stop at a shoe store in Truro to find his size in trainers. Mrs. Fenton stood with Louisa gossiping about the people who had recently moved to the village. She noticed the ring on Louisa's finger and was dying to ask her what it meant. She whispered "I can't help but notice your ring. Is it new? Or a gift?"

Louisa was determined that Bert and Joan would be the first to know about the engagement so she just smiled and said it was a gift. Not a lie. Martin _had_ given it to her. He paid for his items and they continued on through the village. Louisa was blooming with happiness and Doc was hardly scowling at all. As usual, Buddy was following Doc and he didn't yell at him or try to run him off. Something was going on! Mrs. Fenton called It May Contain Nuts. They called Fearless and they called the Fish Market. And so it went. Joan was making a delivery at The Port Wenn Organic Farm Produce store and heard about the ring and the speculation as to what it might mean. When Bert went to pick up his order of baked goods from The Chough Bakery, they were all talking about Louiser and the Doc. So he heard about the ring there. Before Martin and Louisa got to Bert's for a late lunch, half the village knew. Joan found out where they were headed so she was there waiting for them, standing with Bert and Al, all with big smiles on their faces. It turned out that the only people surprised were the Doc and Louisa. As it should be in a small village. Louisa was worried that Martin would be angry that their privacy was invaded and he would insult someone. But seeing how much Louisa was enjoying everything, he followed Bert's advice from years back and 'went with the flow'. He certainly didn't talk much and when people wanted to grab his hand and shake it, he pulled it back with a glowering look that stopped them in their tracks. The only people allowed to touch him were Joan, Bert and Al. They were all family now.

Of course, Louisa was hugged, patted and congratulated by everyone and she loved it. Joan was the first to see the ring and she nodded with satisfaction. The afternoon turned into an impromptu engagement party that stretched into the evening. Everyone there called others in the village and the crowd grew. Louisa smiled, laughed and talked until her cheeks were numb. It was very much past Doc's bedtime when they finally left. He actually held her hand as they walked home. Her pony tail was swinging in time with her bum and that was always a pleasure to watch.

Martin started caressing and kissing her as soon as the door was closed. They hurriedly undressed and tumbled into bed ready to make up for what didn't happen the night before. Martin was so sweet and attentive to her needs. Their love making was slow and passionate and he was careful of the baby. *Louisa pointed out that since she _was_ pregnant, they didn't have to worry about her _getting_ pregnant. Sex with a condom was good but sex without a condom was glorious. Nothing between them, just skin on skin. They fell asleep in a tangle of bed clothes and legs. It occurred to him later that he hadn't had time to think of his 'experience' even once during the whole day.

*Line borrowed from robspace54


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

The next morning, they woke early, dressed and went to the leisure center. He looked different but s-o-o _good_ in his new warm up suit. Unfortunately, he had no other choice in footwear than to wear his shower thongs and felt uncomfortable and conspicuous.

"Who's going to see you besides me? And nobody would notice or care what's on your feet after they get a look at your new warm up suit. You look very spiffy!" she assured him.

And in reply, he said his usual "Humph!"

She plaited her pony tail as they walked, easy to do because she had years of practice. Instead of working out on the machines, he joined her at the pool and did a double take at the appearance of her baps bursting out of her suite. "We're going shopping again today! That suit is reaching the point of indecency!"

She smiled flirtatiously and replied "Now, here I was thinking you'd like it." And tried unsuccessfully to squeeze them into the small space. His eyes followed the movement of her hands and his body said that he liked it very much. She giggled when it became obvious and made him blush. The cold water in the pool solved that problem even as it took his breath away.

He didn't want to embarrass her with what he thought was his superior ability so he did an easy warm up lap with her swimming beside him. They were hanging onto the side of the pool and he very solicitously asked if he was swimming too fast for her. Mistake! She gave him an expressionless look and said "Let's go then" climbed out of the water, waited for him, did a perfect dive and started swimming her normal speed.

"Shit!" She's fast! He swam as hard as he could and caught up with her, barely. They reached the side and she did her turn, again, perfectly. Again and again, they swam laps. Wasn't she getting even a little tired? No wonder her bum was so perfectly shaped and firm. He had just about reached his limit when she stopped. She turned and looked at him with her head cocked and a 'now what do you think about your speed? expression.' She might as well be standing with her hands on her hips.

"How many laps was that? _Fifty_? And you do this every time you come here and swim?"

"Yes, why?" she asked.

"This is a very impressive exercise routine. I'm pleased and would like to join you on occasion, if that's acceptable." He actually looked impressed.

Satisfied with what he said, she smiled "Thank you. Yes, I'd like that very much. Maybe we can work on the machines sometime if they're what you'd like to use. Want to go look at them?"

He nodded approvingly at all the amenities available for the residents of the village to use. "Yes, this is very satisfactory. My machine is in the nursery and will have to be moved out so I'll take it to a storage facility. This is working out very well. Now, I'm starving! Let's go eat breakfast."

Since she _really_ needed a new swim suit and he wanted trainers, they drove into Truro and went to a sporting goods store. She reminded him to also get a pair of flip flops to wear around the pool as the rules required their use in the dressing rooms. He was a lot more particular about his trainers than he was about his workout clothes and lectured the store employee and Louisa on the necessity of properly fitting shoes. He even explained the structure of the foot and the support it needed. The employee listened attentively and nodded in thanks. He made a sale and learned quite a bit about his job at the same time. Then her bathing suit was next. She always chose always black or dark blue racing suits with color blocking to make her look slimmer. Those weren't the best choice right now because of her growing belly and baps. She just couldn't wear a maternity swim suit! She would look fat and frumpy! But necessity ruled the day and luck was with her. She never had a reason to look at any other style besides racing suits and discovered that maternity suits were very stylish, flattering and would grow with her belly. She found some to try on and ended up choosing a black one with turquoise trim. They paid and left, happy with their choices. They ate lunch sitting on a deck overlooking a river. The menu offered simple, well prepared meals and they lingered to watch people enjoying themselves on the river with their boats. All sorts of water fowl were swimming and flying around and fish jumped out of the water. Everything was so pleasant!

She asked if he was ready to leave. "It's getting a little late and I want to see Bert tonight."

He stood up, but frowned and asked "Why? Does it have to be tonight?"

"Yes, it does but you don't have to go with me, grumpy! I want to thank him for last night. I'm pleased that it was good business for him and I want to thank him for something he said he's going to do. I haven't told you yet because I wanted you to hear it from him. If you choose not to go, I'll tell you on the way home."

"Something he said last night? I _wish_ he said he was going to follow my advice but I'm sure that too much to hope for! Louisa, I determined some time ago to take part in things that are important to you. If you want to see Bert, then that's where we'll go."

That got him a kiss on the cheek and a fervent "No wonder I love you so much! Thank you!"

They parked at the surgery and walked to the restaurant. People nodded and waived, always happy to see Louiser. They arrived at the restaurant at a slow time so Bert was able to sit and talk with them without interruption.

"Bert, I want you to tell Martin about your plan for the baby. It's such a generous thing to do!"

"Well, it _is_ my grandchild so of course I'll do something special for it! Doc, I'm going to start an education fund for the lit'le un. I can't say how much I can contribute but it will be all that I can. His Uncle Al'll join in, too."

Martin was stunned – first at the realization that Bert considered himself to be his child's grandfather! And second, that someone who wasn't wealthy by any stretch of the imagination would so generously share with his baby. He couldn't quite identify his emotion but it felt like…admiration? Gratitude? He knew what Bert had done for Louisa. He had to admit that his opinion of Bert had been wrong. He was really quite a man.

Louisa was studying his face and recognized confusion and then approval. And when looking at Bert!"

Martin blushed and mumbled "ER, well I, uh…"

Bert lightly clapped his shoulder and said "No need for thanks Doc. I'm proud to do it! Whoops! Customers. Talk to you later." He and Louisa embraced and she kissed his cheek with a whispered "Thank you! You'll be a wonderful grand-dad."

They spent a quiet evening reading and chatting about the day. Martin found it easier to make small talk with Louisa. He usually hated it and just stood around, arms crossed and scowled when in a social situation. But it was good to talk to Louisa. He would never get tired of hearing her voice and that giggle! His whole body responded to it.

He put his bmj on the table and she scooted close to him. They talked about possible names for the baby and thought of so many that he started making a list.

Martin James Ellingham, Jr. No, he didn't like juniors.

Harry James. No, she knew from experience that the other children would most certainly call him 'hairy'. And not Peter, Dick or anything thing else that could be twisted and used as a taunt.

Thomas James? Possible but why did she keep adding James? Having the child named after him wasn't necessary. In fact, he preferred to give it a clean slate – a brand new name.

She answered back that James was her favorite name. She picked that one and he would pick the other name. Fair?

"Hm-m-m." He started writing down possible names; Barry? Claude? Thomas? Michael? Joseph? Each time he would strike through it. After leaning back with eyes closed for a few minutes, he said "Henry. James Henry Ellingham. How's that?"

"James Henry. James Henry." She repeated. "I like it!" She patted her tummy and said "Well, James Henry Ellingham, you've got a name!"

He watched with pleasure as she rubbed her belly and talked to the baby nestled safely inside her. But being an Ellingham meant being realistic so he asked "And if it's a girl?"

She looked startled at first at the mention of a girl, but answered immediately "Joan of course. Do you have any ideas?"

"Bert's wife's name was Mary wasn't it?" Louisa nodded and he continued "What do you think of Joan Mary or Mary Joan? You said she was like a mother to you."

She smiled a little remembering how Mary could make her laugh and nodded "Yes, she was and it would make Bert so happy. Do you mind naming our children after family members? We don't have to, you know."

"No, I don't mind. Well that's settled. James Henry or Mary Joan." And he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him. "I haven't done my breathing exercises all weekend. Leslie was strict about me keeping up with them. But to tell you the truth, I haven't felt the need."

Surprised, she turned to look at him and asked "What breathing exercises? Why haven't you mentioned them before now? How long do they take?"

"In order – Leslie gave me breathing exercises (relaxation exercises would be a better name) to do back when I first started to see him, I just didn't think to tell you and usually did them after you went to sleep and they take about fifteen minutes to complete. Why are you looking so worried? I said I haven't felt the need to do them. That last session freed me somehow. Finally remembering what happened and realizing how it's affected my life has been…a release. My parents have no control over my life now but I was _giving_ it to them. I was _giving_ them power over my life, happiness, everything by not letting go of my childhood. It's good to feel free."

"Oh, my love! I'm so happy to hear you say that! Bert taught me how to let go years ago. And you're right – why let two people who I haven't seen in years affect me now in any way? And why should you let two people who you say hated you and made your childhood hell have any part in it now?"

He shook his head and said "They don't." He laid his head on the sofa back and sighed "Now if Leslie can help me with this phobia! It would be a tremendous relief if I didn't have to worry about vomiting on my patients!"

Laughing, she agreed with him. "If you feel like you need to do your exercises tonight, I'll go on up and get ready for bed. Ok?"

When he first started, he had to work at relaxing but having Louisa in his life, the thought of their child, a regular sex life with the woman he adored and his practice kept his mind so busy that there just wasn't room for anxiety. He had trouble finding time to work on fixing clocks now and previously that had been the only other thing in his life besides his job and an occasional dalliance. His only problem was his phobia. He sat there for a few minutes and, instead of concentrating on breathing exercises, he thought of Louisa and the image of her waiting in bed for him was so much more interesting. "The hell with this!" and he took the steps two at a time. She was just coming out of the loo and sat on the side of the bed to brush her hair. He shaved, brushed his teeth, gargled and undressed, in a hurry to go to bed. He walked into the bedroom and there she was – naked, on her stomach, one knee bent and that perfect bum in perfect view. His body immediately responded. Watching him, she giggled softly and said "I'm so glad you're proportional!" and rolled to her back, holding out her arms to him. They had a long, satisfying relaxation session that benefited them both.

The next morning was Sunday and he went to the leisure center again but this time he worked on the machines and found that the rowing machine was most beneficial. Louisa swam her fifty laps again.

After breakfast, he called Joan to let her know the names they had chosen and of course she loved them. They chatted for a moment and, before hanging up, she messed up. "Ok Marty, have you thought about the wedding yet? James Henry will be here before you know it!"

If it had been anyone else, Martin would have bitten their head off with a terse "That's none of your business!" But, with Auntie Joan, he replied calmly "No, we haven't discussed it but, rest assured, you will be the first to know when we do. Ok?"

"Of course, Marty. Didn't mean to pry. Hope to see you tomorrow so enjoy your last vacation day."

Then Louisa called Bert. "Bert, it's Louiser. I want to tell you that we've picked names for the baby. Either James Henry or Joan Mary Joan. Good, huh?

"Louiser, you tell Doc that the only thing that would've made it perfect would be Albert Joseph Ellingham! Now, Now you know I'm teasing you, darlin'! Tell yourself and Martin that Al said it's a good name. Just seems perfect somehow! Now hang up and rest. My grandbaby needs it."


	24. Chapter 24

**Series 7 is over and all the problems are resolved so I feel a little silly going on with my fantasy. But it is my fantasy about how Louisa behaves and Martin responds to her. I can't stop now because it's still in my head. Hope my followers continue to find it interesting.**

Chapter 24

Tomorrow was Monday and that meant they both had lots to do to prepare for the coming week. They worked quickly and efficiently and soon finished. Martin suggested that they use the rest of the day to start moving her things into the surgery. Why not use the time they had? She agreed and began cleaning out her dresser drawers, closet and loo while he went to get boxes from the Co-op and local market. They both packed, he carried everything downstairs and insisted that she carry nothing down the stairs or anything to the car that weighed more than ten pounds.

Bert and Al could see from the restaurant's vantage point that Louiser was moving. Al went with the van to offer help with the lifting and carrying so Louisa was left with nothing to do but watch. There were furniture pieces that she wanted to take with her but quickly discovered that there wasn't enough room in the surgery for them. There would have been if Martin was willing to rearrange some of his things. He didn't volunteer and she was hesitant to push the point. He was so used to living alone and having his way about things and she thought it would take time for him to adjust to sharing his space permanently with someone. "Who knows, maybe someday, he'll think to volunteer." she thought. So, once again, read the list. Patience, patience, patience. And be honest! Would she be willing to makes changes to her cottage to accommodate his possessions? She answered, "Well yes, I think I would. But, then again, I'm not being tested so how can I be sure how I would behave?"

In fairness to Martin, it should be pointed out that he just didn't think of it and, had she asked, was willing to do anything to make her happy and comfortable.

Martin asked Al if he could help move the exercise machine to a storage facility since the van was there anyway.

Al agreed but suggested "Why pay rent? We got a huge empty room above the restaurant that we use for storage. It could go there."

Martin hesitated. He didn't like taking favors from anyone. Independence has been drilled into him throughout his childhood. Louisa whispered in Martin's ear while Al carried a box upstairs "Offer to let him use it while it's stored there. He doesn't have much time to go to the leisure center since they opened the restaurant and he has night school three times a week and he still does plumbing on the side. I'm sure it would benefit him to have the use of it. What do you think?"

Instead of answering her directly, he said to Al, "I think that's a good idea but why not use it yourself? It's easy to set up and is very effective."

"Sure, thanks Doc. I've missed exercisin'. Thanks a lot. If you'll help me, we can move it after we finish with Louiser's things. And while I'm here, want to move whatever else you have in that room?"

Martin readily agreed. Between the two men, Louisa was moved in and the nursery was cleared out. Louisa suggested that she and Martin buy Al's dinner to celebrate their accomplishments. Of course, they had to go to Large Restaurant and Martin got a surprise. The menu now offered healthy choices on one side and on the other, typical Cornish fare. Martin noticed that a lot of them were the meals that Bert prepared for him and Louisa. Al and Bert were smiling at him as he read the choices. "Wot do you think, Doc? I even bought a healthy eatin' cookery book and it's been a huge success. And not only with the tourists neither! Turns out lots of people round here been listenin' to you."

Louisa studied him and asked "Bert, please turn around for me. Wow! How much weight have you lost? I've been too busy to notice but you're looking good!"

"I thought if people could see me losin' weight and I say it's from our healthy menu choices, well that's just good business. Right, Doc? It's a win, win for me and the restaurant."

Martin assessed his appearance and gave an approving nod. "You look like you've lost two stone. As I've been telling you, weight loss for obese people is beneficial for several reasons."

"Martin, please no lectures tonight. Let's just celebrate together and I'm _starving_! Unfortunately, I'm craving pasties with brown sauce and Sticky Toffee Pudding with lots and lots of clotted cream." At the look on his face, she sighed and told Bert "But I'll order healthy."

They spent the rest of the evening finding room for her clothes and personal items. The house seemed to get smaller and smaller.

Then, Monday morning – back to their routines. Leisure center, showers and breakfast. They took turns – one morning he went to the loo first and she cooked breakfast and the next day they switched.

He realized that he hadn't thought about his problems – not even once. He was just too busy.

Thursday. The big day. They were shown into the room and Louisa was prepped for the procedure. The nurse smiled as she saw them both staring intently at the monitor before she even started. Louisa's hand felt blindly for Martin's and they gripped each other tightly. He was a famous surgeon and doctor but he had never seen this before. The nurse started moving the transducer over her belly and an image started to appear. It got clearer and they could see movement. Louisa gasped and squeezed his hand tightly. "Martin, there he is! There he is! Is that his heart beating? I can see it! And hear it! Oh-h-h, isn't he beautiful?"

He was part doctor and part father as he looked at the image. But, the father couldn't speak. He had felt this way only once before in his life – the morning that Holly left in the ambulance and he wanted so desperately to speak to Louisa, to make things right but didn't know what he had done wrong. But as a doctor he could speak. "Yes, Louisa. It looks to be within the correct range for size and his heartbeat sounds normal."

Louisa was shocked at his clinical assessment and started to interrupt him with a sharp rebuke. Then she looked at his face – his eyes were shining with unshed tears and his expression was so tender! He gripped her hand tightly and she answered "Well, all that's good to know but I still say he's beautiful."

The image was examined and pronounced normal. Martin asked for two pictures 'just in case his aunt wanted one'. It was a safe bet that it went into his wallet and was pulled out and looked at many times. When they arrived back at the surgery they found Auntie Joan, Bert, Al, Morwenna, Chippy and several other people anxious to see the pictures. Louisa smiled and showed off the picture like it was the real baby. Martin kept his safe in his wallet and edged around the room to stand beside Joan.

"Marty, I'm so proud and happy for you! You'll make a wonderful father. I can see it now. He'll spend time with me just like you did." She hugged him with tears running down her face.

Bert was saying almost the same thing to Louisa. "My Louiser's gonna be a Mom! I can't wait to spend time with the lit'le tyke! Me and his Uncle Al'll teach him to fish and ride his bike – all the things you used to do." And engulfed her in a big hug.

Louisa bought a frame and put the picture on her nightstand where she could see it before and after sleep.

Time passed and, in addition to getting accustomed to having another person in their 'space', they dealt with their jobs. He had daily surgery and, when on call, went out on emergencies at all hours during the nights. She did her job well, thoroughly and happily. The head teacher position required her to attend board meetings with information at her finger tips about the school, the children, the budgets, attendance and anything else a board member might be interested in. She frequently went to work well before the school opened and stayed long after it closed working on various reports, requests for extra funds from the community, letters to parents dealing with recalcitrant children as well as children who excelled or needed extra help at home. Frequently they were so tired, they fell into bed early, curled up together and went immediately to sleep. And, in spite of the incidents detailed in the following paragraphs, what happened in the daytime never affected their nights. Their love and passion for each other was too strong.

As for living together, well, let's just say they had their challenges.

He discovered that Louisa sometimes made messes in whatever room she was in. She knew he was a neat freak but didn't realize to what extent. He didn't realize that they were on different schedules. She had every intention of picking up after herself but he beat her to it. It became a source of irritation for both of them. "Would you _please_ stop cleaning up after me! I clean up after myself, thank you very much! I have for years and don't need your help now!"

"Louisa, you had more than enough time to take your dirty clothes down to the laundry room. I was merely trying to help! And you know that disorder irritates me!" He barked back at her.

"Where are my pajamas? I left them on the bed just a few minutes ago." She was looking all around the room, even under the bed for them.

"I put them under your pillow where they belong. I found them on the foot of the bed where they _don't_ belong." He hoped he didn't sound smug but couldn't be at all sure.

"Louisa, you should push the toothpaste up from the bottom of the tube. You're wasting a quarter of each tube. Don't you care about economy?" He was honestly curious but to her, he sounded sanctimonious.

"Toothpaste! You're worried about wasting a little toothpaste now? Oh dear! Let me be responsible for buying all the toothpaste from now on. God forbid that I should be accused of _wasting_ a quarter of each tube! Britain will surely fall!"

"You don't need to be sarcastic. It's a small thing to ask of you. Really, you are childish sometimes." He answered back.

Then there was the episode with her undies. She liked to hang them on the towel warming rack to dry. In his opinion, it was just for towels so would remove them and hand them to her to 'please hang somewhere else'.

He handed them to her again and said "As I've said to you before, the towel rack is for towels, not your undergarments."

She was testy with her answer "Yes, Mar-tin, you have said that to me before and I've thanked you for the information! But I wonder where _do_ you suggest that I hang them? From the gutter?"

"Of course not! Just somewhere else." He answered thinking that he was being logical.

Louisa counted to ten, very slowly. "I'm going out for a while. My undies are right there and I want them to be right there when I get back! Understand?"

A little surprised that she was upset, he replied with raised eyebrows "Well yes, I understand. Just don't leave them there too long, please."

She marched out and again he heard the muttered "Jackass!" She was certainly moody today. Must be the pregnancy again.

She bought a folding, wooden clothes drying rack and put it in the small laundry room next to the dryer. He saw her draping her things on it and protested that anyone who came in the back door could see her undergarments. That certainly would not do! The must go somewhere out of sight and he realized there _was_ nowhere out of sight. Except upstairs. He admitted to himself that the towel rack really was the best place. They would dry quickly and could be put away quickly. "I've reconsidered your use of the towel rack to dry your undergarments. It appears that it is the best solution." It was her turn to snort in derision!

She got a call one afternoon from a painting company wanting to schedule a time to paint a room in her house. For a moment she thought they meant her cottage. No, they meant the surgery. They were told that it was a small room upstairs and the color was supposed to be bright white. When was a good time for them to start the job? "I'll get back with you. I really have to talk to someone about this." She marched to the surgery ready for battle.

He finished with his appointments and came into the kitchen to help prepare their dinner. She tried a new recipe for chicken salad made with pineapple, grapes and nuts. For the binder, she used low fat yogurt. It made an appetizing dish served on a mixed greens salad and fresh whole grain bread.

"That looks very appetizing." He came up behind her, rubbed her belly and nuzzled her neck. "Shall I prepare the drinks?"

"Yes, that would be nice. I'll drink water, please."

They sat down and he complimented her on the salad. "This is excellent, Louisa. By the way, I've been in touch with some painters and they gave me a quote on the cost of painting the nursery. I told them bright white as it's the most suitable color. They should call any day now to schedule a time."

"As a matter of fact, they called today. I said I'd get back with them." She said, trying to remain calm.

"Why do you have to get back with them? It's all arranged except for the day that they actually do the work."

She carefully laid her fork down, wiped her lips and looked at him with narrowed eyes. "Martin, did it not occur to you to discuss the color choice with me? You heard my suggestion to Joan about decorating with an alphabet theme didn't you? Would you like it if _I_ acted so cavalierly about decisions that we should both be involved in?" Her voice was growing louder with each question and she drummed her fingers on the table.

His eyes widened as he listened to her questions. "I was not acting cavalierly! Just trying to be helpful and I don't understand why the choice of color is so important or why just plain white isn't satisfactory! You can still paint abc's or whatever you want on the walls. I won't stop you!"

"Helpful? How is it 'being helpful' to leave me out of decisions that affect _our_ baby? Really Martin! You can be so, so…obtuse!" She sat back, arms folded across her chest.

He looked at her with honest bewilderment. "Obtuse? Louisa, I didn't mean to upset you or leave you out. I honestly thought I was taking some worry off you. Just tell the painters which color you want or wallpaper or whatever you want!"

She sighed and got up to put the kettle on. Turning to face him, she asked "And you don't want to be involved in deciding what our son will see every day for the first few years of his life? You don't want something a little stimulating? Please Martin, I want us to discuss decisions like this."

"Very well, let's discuss it. You said alphabet theme. What will you use – paint, crayons, magic markers, what?" He really was clueless.

"No! Of course not! Let me get my laptop and show you." Hurrying out of the room, she did a double take and almost stumbled when she realized what he said "Crayons? Magic Markers? Oh, my lovely man!" She set it up on the table so they could both see it and said "See. I was going to suggest off-white walls and use this border like a chair rail around the room. How do you like that? I like the blues and browns but it comes in other colors of course."

He carefully looked at the sample and nodded his head. "I see what you mean. How about something with a picture of, say, an elephant with the e? That way the child will begin to realize that letters connect with real things. "

She smiled and nodded. "Yes, that's a good idea but listen to this. We could use pages out of this coloring book (it contained large, simple pictures of all sorts of animals and other things) and color the dog brown, the truck blue, the banana yellow and so on. He'll learn colors, sounds, letters and identify different things that he'll see around the village. We use this technique for children in pre-school and it works very well. What do you think?"

He nodded again "I like it. And I like the fact that you're not covering the room in wallpaper that will eventually have to come off. A simple border and matching bedding is enough." He pulled her down onto his lap and rested his head on her breast. "I'm sorry. I should have consulted you about the room."

She smoothed his hair with her hand and whispered "That's ok my love. We're learning. I'll call the painters tomorrow and let them know what we want. Now, do you want some cheese or anything with your tea? I'm going to have a biscuit."

She came back into the kitchen from the loo one Sunday after lunch and the table was empty. "Martin! Where did you put the papers I had on the table?"

He was in his consulting room working on a clock and answered "I stacked them up and put them on the sideboard. Don't worry, they're very _neat_."

"Damn it, Martin! I worked for over an hour to sort and collate those papers. Why did you move them? Now I have to start over again!"

He came into the kitchen and replied "I moved them because that table is where we eat. It's not a desk."

She looked at him like he had two heads "I can't believe this! We won't eat on that table for another three hours! What difference does it make if I have papers on it now?"

"I just said – we eat at that table. You should find another place to work." He sounded so _reasonable_ and she wanted to hit him over the head with the bloody table.

"Ok, that's it! I understand! This is your house and it's set up for you, not for you and me and certainly not for you, me and a baby. I'm going home to finish what you just messed up for me." She was trembling with anger and hurt. Couldn't he understand how he made her feel? That she wasn't a permanent resident in his house? Just a visitor and expected to follow his rules. She grabbed the papers, her purse and left him with his clean table.

That hurt him. She had called this her home and now she was 'going home' to work? What did she mean – not set up for her? Just because he liked things to be neat?

Louisa unlocked her door, opened windows and the sliding door in the lounge that let out onto the deck and the breeze from the ocean blew through clearing out the musty smell. Good thing she hadn't had the electricity turned off. She couldn't understand him. Love in abundance but consideration? Understanding? No, he didn't have those traits. She sorted and spread out the papers again and started filling out cover sheets for each stack. She needed a cuppa. Thankfully, her tea kettle and some tea bags were still there. It wasn't long before he showed up. "Louisa, what's this all about? Just because I don't want the kitchen table used as a desk? You called my house your home and now you're here in ' _your_ home'? And, what did you mean when you said my house isn't set up for us and the baby? It's our home – mine, yours and the babies – always."

She looked down at her cup while she gathered her thoughts. "Our decision to live together hasn't been easy for either of us but do you realize that you said 'my house' twice in three sentences? I can deal with you constantly picking up after me like I'm some big slob but I can't deal with not having even a little space to call my own or feeling like a visitor all the time. So, when I need space, I'll come here and you can have yours. That seems fair to me."

The things she said stunned him. Did he really say 'my house'? Surely it was obvious that his home was their home, too. And what was wrong with liking things neat and orderly? Surely she couldn't be angry over that! Then, he realized what he had been thinking. He said 'his home' even in his thoughts. He didn't really feel that way. The house felt so empty without her. "Louisa, I didn't mean to make you angry or to feel like it's _my_ house and not _our_ house. Because _it is our_ _home_. We can come up with a solution for your space. It will be out of bounds for me. I'll have the deed changed to include your name. I want it to be our home so come back with me and we'll work on your space as soon as we get there."

She tilted her head to one side and asked with honest curiosity "Martin, have you given any real thought about what it's going to be like with a baby in the house? All the things he'll need? The constant laundry, dirty diapers, toys, play pen, high chair, bottles, baby food and on and on? It's a little late to think of these things but I finally am. I'm accustomed to being around children with their messes and noise but I don't think you can deal with it. You'll drive yourself and me to distraction constantly picking up and putting away. I love you more than I can ever say but maybe we'd be better off with two homes. The mess can be here and we'll visit you every day at your home."

He looked appalled and sputtered his question "What in the hell are you saying? Two homes?"


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

"We're getting married and that means we live together with our baby. Isn't that what you want?" He looked at her with confusion in his eyes.

"Of course that's what I want! But think Martin. Can you deal with having your routine shattered? With the crying at night? Do you honestly think you can deal with all the upset?"

He looked incredulous for one second and then switched to indignant. "I will do whatever is necessary to accept what you're describing. I love you and our baby. I want you both in our home with me. I wish you didn't doubt me quite so much."

"I'm sorry but you have to admit that you've taught me to be very careful of your privacy. I have no doubt regarding how much you love me and the baby but that doesn't change the fact that you _are not_ a people person. Agree?"

"Well, yes, I agree. But I assumed that I was doing better. I like Mark and Brenda and enjoyed the evening we spent with them. And I…" He couldn't think of another incident that showed he was improving. The desperate expression was back.

"You are doing better but you told me that you probably wouldn't change very much, that you are as you are and I accept that. But the fact remains that I don't think you can handle the change that having a baby in the house will bring."

He looked miserable and couldn't think of anything else to say to convince her.

She looked thoughtful for a moment and then suggested this "Let's buy the baby furniture right away and get it set up. Put the play pen in the lounge with the toys and books we've collected and the high chair in the kitchen. It'll be like the baby is really here and you are _not_ to run about picking up and cleaning up like the queen is coming when I scatter toys around the room. We'll see what it's like to have messes and how you deal with it. Then we'll talk about where the baby and I live. Agree so far?"

He nodded with a determined look on his face.

"Do you agree to taking a little test?"

Resolved to not show fear, doubt or consternation, he again nodded yes. She ignored his almighty gulp.

She called Roger and Doreen Fenn and invited them for dinner Sunday next. They were definitely supposed to bring the twins and whatever favorite toys they had. The noisier the better.

Roger immediately smelled a tiff and asked if all was well.

"It's nothing Roger. We're just trying to find out how well Martin will deal with the mess and noises that come with children. Do you still agree to come?"

Roger wore that mischievous grin that everybody in the village knew and answered, "Of course we'll be there with the kids and all. We hardly go anywhere without them."

Martin paced the floor in his consulting room out of Louisa's sight. He dreaded that superior look she would send his way if he failed her test. And Auntie Joan! If she knew, wouldn't he get an ear full from her?

They chose simple white furniture, it was delivered and they spent a Saturday afternoon setting it up after the painters were through. He had suggested plantation shutters for the window so they could darken the room for naps. The installer did her work quickly and left. Louisa stroked the bright cushions on the rocker that matched the bedding and cushion on the window seat. She stared at the bed imagining the baby already in it. The lamp on the chest of drawers was adorable and the few clothes they had purchased were neatly put away. Martin tested the changing table again for safety. He was eager to show her that he wanted to be involved so he helped color some pages, labeled them in clear print and hung them on the walls. He really surprised her when he handed her a box with a mobile in it. She opened it and exclaimed "Oh Martin! This is perfect! Let's hang it now. Where did you find something this unique?" It was made of carved wood and the craftsmanship was excellent. The things the artist carved were accurate and realistic representations of what JH would see in the ocean; a dolphin, salmon, sea horse, fishing boat, a shell and a lobster trap. They all hung from a blue whale and were finished with child friendly paint.

"Er, I ran across his shop is Truro and was very impressed with his skill. I looked at other mobiles and thought they were rather silly. So I told him what I wanted and asked if he could make it. Are you sure this is satisfactory for the nursery?"

She turned the mobile round and round, smiling at its perfection. "Oh yes, Martin, I love it. And look at the colors! And look at the shadows it makes on the wall when the sun shines in. They look like they're actually swimming. You've bought an heirloom for our family."

He looked at her hesitantly and said "Yes, we're a family and we'll give our child all the love and attention that any child could want and two parents who love and respect each other. But don't you think that we should get married. I would like our child to have my name."

She continued to play with the mobile and he started to get nervous. "Have you changed your mind about marrying me? Please tell me, Louisa."

She snapped her head around to look at him with eyes wide "No! I haven't changed my mind at all! It's just that you've never mentioned it again so I thought you had changed _your_ mind. I didn't mean to not answer you but I was just so relieved that you asked. Yes, I'll marry you. Just name the date."

He embraced her with his cheek resting on her head. "How about a day this week? We can go to a district registrar's office."

She pulled back a little and studied his face to see if he was teasing her. No, he was completely serious. "Not quite what I had in mind so let's compromise. You name the date and I'll name the place. We can work on the guest list together. Deal?"

He really tried to keep his expression blank and not show the dismay he felt. "Oh gawd! Please not a big, pretentious wedding!"

Out loud, he replied "That sound reasonable – depending on where you want the ceremony to take place and how many people you want to invite."

"Relax. It won't be anything to make you palpitate." She teased. "The local vicar can perform the ceremony in St John's chapel – you know that really old one just outside the village? Bert can give me away and, if you don't have anyone else in mind, ask Al to be your best man. If Joan consents, I'd like her to be my maid of honor. No bridesmaids or anything like that. But I really want a reception after with music, dancing and finger foods. No open bar. Then a short honeymoon, like for a weekend. Does anything sound too demanding or unreasonable to you? Speak now or forever hold your peace."

He thought of bargaining away the reception but knew it would be a lost cause. Besides, she deserved whatever wedding she wanted. He would agree to anything just be have her as his wife and their child to have his name. "No, everything sounds just as it should be. Summer holiday is coming up shortly so we should wait for that since you'll be on break but definitely before your due date. I'd like to invite Chris and Carol Parsons by the way and a weekend honeymoon sounds good. I can make the reservations when we know the date."

That was settled so they turned around for one more look at the room. It was bright and cheerful and she was delighted with the results. He showed his 'delight' by saying his usual "Humph!" but she saw him rest his hand on the mattress and railings when he thought no one was looking.

She then started on the lounge. The play pen took up the space between the lounge and kitchen. She dumped the few toys and books they had into it and pulled a padded green rocking bug with enormous sparkly and wobbly eyes out of the coat closet. "Look! Isn't this the cutest thing? He's going to love rocking on it."

Martin found himself mesmerized by those eyes. They were definitely the strangest things he had ever seen. He didn't respond so she looked at him and saw his expression. "What's wrong? Don't you like it?"

He replied "I don't know yet. Where did you get it? And don't you think those eyes are just a little frightening?"

She stepped back and looked at the eyes "Well, they're certainly 'eye' catching! No, I don't think they're in the least scary. It's just so cute!"

He shrugged his shoulders and replied "Ok, if you say so. Who gave us something like that? Do they know even less about children than I do?"

"Mark and Brenda Thresher. You have to say that he knows quite a bit about children. By the way, she just found out that she's pregnant, too. I'd like to go out with them again. Are you ok with me making some plans when we see them at our wedding?"

Still looking at those eyes "Yes, that would be fine."

She looked a little concerned "And will you promise to not say anything negative about their gift? I can assure you that James Henry will love it."

He just shook his head at her, resigned to the fact that she 'knew' she was expecting a boy.

"Yes, I promise."

As he had promised, they turned their attention to 'her space'. Unless he got rid of something, there was just no room in the lounge. It already felt smaller with the addition of the baby's things. He stood in the middle and slowly turned around. "H-m-m. How about it we move that desk into storage and put a six foot folding table there for your space? Or do you think you'll need more room?"

"Maybe. Let me get a tape measurer. I'd like to have eight or ten feet if possible." She went to the laundry room, got the tape measurer from the tool box and asked him to hold one end when she measured the space. "Ha! We can get eight feet in so I'll make do with that. Thank you Martin. This will be very satisfactory."

He stared at her in consternation. "What do you mean? 'you'll make do'? That's not what I want for you! Let's see if I can work out something better."

She was quick to reassure him "No, darling! The space will be fine. Lots of room! And, I'm trying to finish my work at school instead of here during _our_ time. Please don't give it another thought." She looked up at him with a cajoling smile and stroked his arm. He was still troubled but nodded in agreement.

The very next day, he went to the local hardware store and found exactly what they wanted. He got a comfortable office chair with lumbar support and a desk lamp and she was content. But he wasn't. "Er, Louisa. Are you still thinking about living in your cottage? I mean…if we're married and you have this…"

She walked over to him, took his hands in hers and said the absolute sincerity "I was upset and angry when I said that. Martin, there is no way on earth that I would leave you or want to live separately from you. You're the love of my life, the father of my son and I love you. I'm happy that you're making me feel like this is my home, my home with you and our son." Then kissed him tenderly.

He held her tightly and with his face pressed close to her cheek, whispered that he loved her more than anything ever in his life and that he would never leave his family. Ever!

It was Sunday and their guests were due soon. Martin was busy in the kitchen preparing dinner while Louisa got extra chairs and set the table. She suggested letting the children eat on the bench with their parents on either side of the table. The high chair was moved to the laundry room.

"Good idea. Sitting next to them like that means Roger and Doreen can help them easily." He asked her to taste the sauce for fish. "It's Red Wine Sauce for the baked salmon. What do you think?"

"Wonderful! Want me to make the salad? And what are the veggies?" She asked.

"Yes, the greens are in the colander in the refrigerator and there are fresh vegetables to chop in the crisper. I thought a simple balsamic vinegar dressing? I'm roasting new potatoes and sautéing spinach with water chestnuts. I hope the children will eat food like this. I don't much about cooking for undeveloped palates. And, what will they drink? Do I need to go buy more milk?" He sounded a little anxious so she patted his back for reassurance.

"Don't worry about it. Let me check the milk. We're ok and we have plenty of bottled water. I also got some red and white wine.

I know you don't approve but look at this!" She left the room and came back with a decadent looking chocolate cake. "I special ordered it at It May Contain Nuts. Isn't it lovely!"

"Humph! Do the children need all that sugar? And you?" He had that concerned look that melted her heart and frustrated her at the same time.

"A little chocolate is actually good or me. It soothes my sernotapnin." She said with dead pan expression and tapped her finger tips together, hoping that he didn't know that she knew the correct pronunciation.

He turned and gave her a suspicious look "Do you know what sero _tonin_ is?"

She turned and looked at the table, fiddling with the place settings. "Of course! Why?"

"Hm-m-m. So you say. Dark chocolate contains serotonin so it can raise the levels of it in your body and improve your mood for a short period of time. However, the unnecessary fat and sugar in that cake are definitely _not_ beneficial for pregnant women. Or for anyone else!" He told her in his best doctor's voice.

She turned, and with a bright smile, hugged him around the waist. "I told you chocolate is good for me! Thank goodness I was right!"

He returned her embrace, kissed the top of her head and asked rhetorically "Why do I bother?"

She grinned up at him and answered cheekily "Because you love me madly! Just admit it!"

He wore his usual scowl and changed the subject. "They should arrive shortly so I'll wait to warm the bread and put the sauce on the fish."

They heard children chatting and Roger's voice. Louisa rushed to the front door with a welcoming smile. "Come in, come in. It's so good to see you. My, the twins have grown!"

Martin was also there but much less enthused. When he saw how many toys they brought, his expression was still a scowl but now it was an apprehensive scowl. "Hello Roger. Doreen. Please come in." And led them into the lounge. "Lunch will be ready shortly." He glanced at the toys and the children already playing and laughing noisily and almost ran out of the room. Louisa winked at Roger and asked if they wanted some wine or tea. They both answered no and Doreen asked what was going on. Roger gave her a whispered explanation while Louisa went to the kitchen to help Martin finish preparing the food.

"Ok, it's ready. Come on in. The children can sit on the bench and you two on either side. Now, what do the children want to drink? And we have red and white wine, tea or whatever you want. Ok, here you are. Help your selves. Martin is a marvelous cook." Louisa bustled around making sure everyone was served, smiling and clearly enjoying herself. The children, though well behaved, acted like children act. They dropped food on themselves and the floor, smeared food on their faces, giggled and one spilled his milk. Martin jumped up "Oh, gawd! Louisa, get some towels."

"Martin, calm down! It's just a little milk. Doreen, here's a damp flannel for the faces. Give me his glass and I'll give him more milk." She and Martin quickly cleaned up and the meal went on. Roger worked hard to engage Martin in conversation. Louisa touched his arm, smiled and whispered "Relax. They're our friends."

Martin cleared his throat and responded to Roger. Except for glancing askance at the children from time to time, Martin relaxed and talked normally to their guests. Roger and Doreen were both intelligent and entertaining people and could converse on a number of topics. They were very complimentary about the food and, all in all, everyone enjoyed the meal. Louisa proudly brought out the cake and the children loudly gave their approval, each asking for a piece as big as the table.

"Oh, my word! I'm stuffed. That was marvelous Martin and the cake was sumptuous. Well done!" Roger patted his stomach in appreciation and Doreen chimed in that it was indeed a perfect meal.

They retired to the lounge and the children pulled out their toys and started playing. One had a dog that barked and hopped and a duck that quacked incessantly. The other one had a ghastly talking book about an unhappy hippopotamus and a small, out of tune xylophone. He loved to make up songs and play accompanying notes (bang) on the toy. The adults were drinking coffee and trying unsuccessfully to talk above the noise. The one with the dog got bored and wanted his Daddy to read him a story. The other had to potty NOW but waited too late to tell his Mommy. Martin's nose wrinkled as he tried not to breathe in the noxious smell. The box of building blocks fell over and the contents spilled out onto the floor. Martin's hands started twitching and sweat was forming on his brow. He could feel Louisa's eyes on him and determined to be calm and not start picking up the toys. Roger observed his behavior and in about half an hour, took pity on him and started their goodbyes. Martin forced himself to stay seated while the toys were cleared up and gratefully walked them to the door.

He closed the door behind them, heaved a sigh and with his arm around Louisa's waist, walked to the kitchen to start cleaning up. "Well, how do you think it went? Did I pass your test?"

"The more important question is, how do you think it went? Imagine it every day, 24/7. Can you handle it?"

"There's something you haven't considered with this test – the noise and confusion 24/7 will be caused by _our_ child, a child that I love. That will make a huge difference don't you think?"

"Well, now that you mention it, I do believe it will make a difference." She pulled his face down and gave him a luscious kiss. "I'm very proud of you, you know. I think you cooked a perfect meal and were a perfect host."

"Thank you. I'd like to finish cleaning up the kitchen and have an early night. With my wife and child. Although the child will have to share you for a little while if you're willing."

She rubbed her face against his chest "It will go faster if you don't rearrange the dishwasher after I load it, don't you think so?"

"I promise I won't. You look very beautiful this evening. Have I told you that?"

The kitchen was cleaned up in record time and the rest of the evening was spent in the most pleasant manner possible.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Time was passing and the end of the school year was getting closer and closer. Martin, after careful consideration, chose June 20th for the wedding date.

aHad He spent one evening in the consulting room writing prescriptions and finishing a lengthy report. When he came out, Louisa was seated on the sofa, papers and books spread all around her, calculator out and a look of utter frustration on her face.

He glanced at the books and saw that they were advanced trigonometry and calculus. "What's wrong? You look aggravated."

She held her head in her hands and moaned "It's this bloody math! When I was at uni, I learned to teach math for primary school children, certainly not this stuff!"

"Why do you have to teach it now?"

She gave a frustrated sigh and answered "We have an exceptionally bright student who is trying to earn a full scholarship to Oxford. And I mean full! The winners will stay in private homes, have mentors and, since she's so young, even a companion. We haven't had a student like her since Peter Cronk moved out of the district. She's having trouble and _I can't help_. I'm thinking of trying to contact one of my uni professors and ask for help."

"Let me take a look at it. I was always good in math and science." he offered.

She looked doubtful "Thank you Martin but this is really advanced stuff."

His answer was dry "I can see that but, as I said, I was good in math and science. What can it hurt to let me look at it?"

Still doubtful, she got up to make tea and he sat down in her place. "Show me what problem she's having trouble with."

"It's written on the pad next to you. Tea?" He nodded yes and studied the problem while she made them both a hot, hot cuppa – just the way he liked it.

"Excuse me, I want to check my schedule." He left the room for a few minutes and then took his seat again. "I'm not on call this week and have no appointments so I can see her any evening after the surgery closes. Unless there's an emergency of course."

"Well, sure! Do you really think you can help her?" she asked in amazement.

"Yes. I was assigned to tutor other students in any subject for which they needed help in my later years at public school."

She stepped behind his chair and hugged him. "You are a never ending source of surprises! Delightful surprises!" Then she whispered in his ear before running her finger around it "And you're also _very_ good in the sack! Thank you!"

Instead of blushing and grunting like he used to do, he kissed her hands and whispered "Let's go take our shower and I'll work on surprising you again." And he winked! She giggled and ran for the stairs before he warned her about the dangers of taking them too fast. "Yes, boss!" and she walked slowly and sedately up the stairs, swinging her bum while he watched in admiration. He locked up before joining her in the shower and he did manage to surprise her again.

The next day she called the girl's parents to explain to them what Martin had volunteered to do and to get their permission.

They were surprised at the offer and asked "Are you sure the Doc wants to help our Jane? I mean, you know how…well, everybody knows how the Doc is."

Louisa answered with a smile in her voice "Yes, I know he can be rude and grumpy but you have to admit that he never fails to aid people in trouble. Right?"

"Well, yeah. Of course we agree with that. What time does he expect her and how often?" Jane's parents were honest, hard working and good hearted people. Some of the best in the village.

"Can you bring her to the surgery at 7:00 and pick her up at 9:00 Wednesday evening, this week? Two hours should give them a good start. And, if you agree, I'll tell her about it today. Martin will let you know whether or not she needs more help."

As Louisa expected them to do, they hurriedly agreed.

Jane arrived at the surgery promptly at 7:00. Louisa met her at the door and they exchanged pleasantries. "Alright then, ready to get started?" Louisa asked brightly.

"Yes, very ready. Is he grumpy today? I mean more grumpy than normal?" Jane asked with complete calm. He wasn't the least intimidating to her because they were so much alike.

"No, not at all. Why should he be? Come this way please. Jane, this is Dr. Ellingham. Martin, this is Jane Tregaskis." Louisa wouldn't admit it to anyone but she was a little nervous. They were both rude and could be obnoxious. Please, no explosions!

"Hello," Jane said. "You gave me medicine when I had the flu last year. It tasted terrible."

"Well, let that be a lesson to you: don't get the flu." was his response.

The studied each other before he said "Ready to start? Show me your problem and let's see what we can work out."

Jane shoved the book across the table and pointed to it. Martin nodded, then asked "And you've tried to solve this yourself? Do you really not see the answer?" He wanted to assess of the level of her knowledge.

"No," Jane said. "If I did, I wouldn't be asking, would I?"

Martin raised an eyebrow and looked more closely at Jane. "Aren't you a bit young for trigonometry? Thought kids your age were still eating crayons in school."

"I'm very advanced," she answered "Like you".

He grunted and asked "Try to solve it again so I can see what you're doing wrong."

Jane nodded and dutifully went through the problem.

"There's your error," he said. "Wrong formula."

"It's Pythagorean's Theorem," she protested. "Given two sides of a triangle, find the third. Easy enough."

"But this isn't a right triangle, is it?" he replied. He pulled over her textbook, flipped through it, and put his finger on an equation. "That's the one you want: Law of Cosines."

Jane stared at it thoughtfully. "Oh."

"And it works for right triangles, too, because -"

"Because the cosine of pi over two is zero, so that term drops out. So, yes... side BC is fourteen and... fourteen point six. And a bit."

Ellingham eyed her. "You don't need a calculator for that?"

"No," Jane replied. "Do you?"

"Cheeky," he muttered, but without rancor. "Well, let's see you prove it."

He got out his scientific calculator for her to use and she eagerly worked the problem as he watched, nodding his head in approval. She finished and, smiling hugely, handed him the results.

*"Correct. You've done very well. Right then. Let's continue. But why didn't you bring your calculator with you? You must have known that you would need one."

"My parents can't afford to buy me one right now. Maybe next month."

"I'll furnish one for you. Just keep the one you're using."

She looked cautious and asked "You said 'furnish one for you'. Are you giving this to me or is it a loan?"

"It's yours. You'll be required to have one in your classes."

"It looks new. Thank you. I'll take good care of it." She didn't expect treatment like this and looked guilty for her previous thoughts about him.

He noticed her expression and asked "What's wrong?"

She sighed and admitted "I thought that you were going to be rude because you didn't really want to get involved with something like this. I was wrong. I'm sorry and thank you for helping me."

"Humph!" His usual response to thanks or compliments.

"This child is something special." He thought to himself. "And I've met two of them in this village. Not just dim wits after all."

They worked steadily for the next hour and a half, both enjoying the process.

"Your parents are supposed to pick you up at 9:00, correct? And your test is six weeks from now so I need to speak to them about further sessions. I think you're mature enough to realize that you'll need to study hard a lot on your own. Is there another subject that you're worried about or need help with?"

She nodded and answered "Yes, I know I have to study. And can you help with chemistry and physics? And I won't be tested on it but I'm really interested in anatomy. Can we add it to the list if we have time?"

"Of course I can. I think we'll need three sessions a week but they won't be on a regular schedule because of my practice. If your parents agree, are you willing to work with my schedule? Good. Give me your email address and that's how we'll communicate."

He walked to one of the bookcases and pulled out some books and handed them to her. "Chemistry and anatomy. Probably more in depth than you need but you should acquaint yourself with them. More than likely they'll be on the list of required textbooks at Oxford. Next session I'll have one on physics for you. Anything else?"

"No, not that I can think of." Her eyes were bright and she handled the books like they were great treasures.

"Humph! Let's go see if your parents are here." He was impressed with her behavior and could remember being the same way himself when given new books. He loved studying and stretching his abilities. He would wager that she was the same.

Jane's parents readily agreed to have her at the surgery for any session that he had time for. They shyly thanked him. "You're helping our girl and that means we're in your debt. Anything, any time you need something, you just call on us."

Martin was still called out on emergencies and quite often missed the sessions. They made them up, sometimes even on Sundays. He thought her progress was remarkable. Louisa watched their interaction and wondered where Martin was and what 'they' had done with him? He was obviously committed to this project and talked about it with so much enthusiasm! She encouraged his interest, even asked him for teaching tips.

When the time came for her to take the test, Martin felt that she was ready. "You've worked hard and done very well. I don't think you'll have any trouble with the tests. Let me know how you do." Neither bothered to say good bye or any other pleasantry. It just wasn't part of their make ups.

During this time, plans were made for the wedding. Louisa had already talked to Bert about the catering and they worked out a menu of simple finger foods and what drinks would be served. Samuel Smith's Organic Hard cider was the extent of the alcoholic beverages allowed by Martin, the rest punch and water. Bert was determined to furnish it free since he was her father but she argued adamantly against it. "Bert, I know you love me as much as I love you but this restaurant won't support your giving away that much food and drink. So, _no_!" She hugged him and kissed his cheek "Thank you but Martin and I will pay for it. Now if you could get two or three people to carry around trays and wear sort of uniforms, that would be great. Get them as cheap as you can and they should wear black pants, white dress shirts with black kerchiefs. Can you take care of that if I furnish the kerchiefs?"

"Sure I can lovely but at least let me pay for that. And I'll give you a break on the food and drink, too. I got my pride you know."

"All right, I'll agree to that but not too much of a break." Seeing his stubborn expression, she said teasingly "Remember, you're saving money for James Henry's education. So don't hurt yourself with your 'break'".

"We'll see. Would you like to have the reception here? How many people are you invitin' anyway?" He was still determined to do everything possible for his girl's wedding.

"I'm not sure, around twenty or thirty I guess. But, you know that a lot of people will just show up anyway. Let me talk to Martin about where we want to hold it but I'm thinking the hall. I'll let you know. Later!"

Martin agreed that the hall was the best place for the reception. She called and reserved it for the afternoon. Then there was the dj for the music, the decorations, flowers, rings and her dress. Not enough time!

Morwenna and Sally came to the rescue with the decorations. Her colors were peach and white – easy enough. Joan insisted that she would take care of the flowers.

Al recommended a dj and was given the go ahead to reserve him for the afternoon.

Martin took her to Truro and they chose plain matching wedding bands. She knew him well enough to choose the simplest gold bands. The gold matched the engagement ring he gave her.

All that was left was the dress. She arranged to meet Brenda and Caroline for lunch, again, in Truro. After they finished eating, they went to one of the best dress shops in town and struck gold. Her dress had an empire waist to accommodate her growing belly, was white, ankle length, with elbow length sleeves and the bodice was embroidered with tiny pearls. The veil was a simple, mid length and fell from a tiara encrusted with the same tiny pearls. She had Martin in mind when she chose the shoes – white satin pumps with low heels and rounded toes. All in all, her wedding outfit was beautiful and the girls assured her that she looked beautiful in it.

When she asked Martin if he was going to rent a tuxedo, he replied that, why should he do that when he had a black suit but he would get a new tie.

Neither thought about the organist but, unbeknownst to them, it was taken care of. Oh boy! Were they in for a surprise.

So, the wedding was set to take place in eight weeks. She was getting more and more excited and he was a mixture of feelings. Relieved. Confused. Incredulous. She was going to be his wife. Sometimes he still had trouble accepting the fact that this remarkable, intelligent and beautiful woman was going to tie herself to him and they were having a child together. A lifetime of self doubt and loneliness was hard to overcome.

It had been weeks since he thought about his 'problems' and spent his counseling sessions describing Jane and how quickly she learned difficult problems and concepts. His blood phobia was hardly ever mentioned. Leslie went along with it, waiting for another break through. He never thought he would see Martin Ellingham this relaxed and happy. The wedding date was a little over two weeks away and Martin invited him and his wife to attend if they could. Smiling, Leslie assured him that they would be there.

*My son and the web contributed the trigonometry section. It's way above my head but it's part of my fantasy for Doc's development. I hope I didn't screw it up.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

During the time Martin was helping Jane with her studies, life went on for him and Louisa. Doc strode around the village as usual and when someone said good morning, if he answered at all, it was with a terse "Yes." And kept walking. He continued to ignore poor, clueless Penhale. If someone started talking about an ailment, he listened long enough to determine whether or not he needed to see them immediately. If not, his standard response was "Make an appointment!" Poor Mrs. Tishell still tried to talk to him about the latest MSRA and he continued to say as little as possible, just state what he needed and say either "Put in on the surgery account." Or "Put it on my personal account." The thing that people noticed and wondered about was how he treated Buddy. Every time the Doc left the surgery, Buddy was waiting by the door and, with tail wagging, followed close behind wherever the Doc went. The odd thing was that Doc Martin never yelled at him or tried to run him off.

Louisa wanted to stock the nursery with everything the baby needed. It was an eye opener to Martin just how many things were necessary for the health and well being of a baby. She would sit on the sofa and dreamily work on the shopping list. It kept growing and growing and he started worrying that the nursery wouldn't be big enough to hold it all. Time for action so he suggested that they go shopping.

When he and Louisa went to the chemist to shop for baby things, Mrs. Tishell was so ebullient and disgustingly sweet when suggesting to them what they should buy 'in her opinion' that Martin ended up glaring at her and pulled Louisa out of the shop without purchasing anything. "Bloody, irritating woman! We'll go to the co-op. They'll have everything we need and we won't have to listen to that nonsense." Louisa readily agreed. She had never mentioned to him about how rude and slighting Mrs. Tishell acted toward her. He found it almost impossible to do business with that ridiculous woman as it was. No need to add coals to the fire.

A stomach flu was making its way around the village. That kept Martin and Mrs. Tishell busy for some time. Mr. Bellow, who owned a local dairy, fell out of the hay loft in his barn and broke his left femur. He had a compound fracture and the bone was jutting through his skin, his blood was pouring out of the puncture and soaking into the ground. When Martin got the call, he gave instructions for care, called an air ambulance and raced to the farm. He got to the victim, assessed the damage, stopped the bleeding and stabilized the wound. The blood was upsetting as always but he didn't vomit. His next counseling session promised to be very interesting.

He was on his way back to the surgery when he got another call. Belinda Cravits, a young girl with diabetes, collapsed in school and Louisa thought she was in a diabetic coma. Once again, Morwenna made a run to the chemist – this time for insulin and met Martin at the school. Belinda regained consciousness just as her parents arrived at the school. Louisa met them at the entrance and took them to the school clinic. They were quite naturally upset and frightened and both speaking at the same time. "Oh Belinda, sweetheart! Are you ok? What happened?" The father spoke to Martin "Hey Doc. What happened? Is she ok? Was it her sugar?"

"Stop talking both of you and listen! I gave her insulin and her blood sugar levels are satisfactory now. This should _not_ have happened. Are you testing her regularly? I've worked with her to make sure she knows how to check herself but I don't see a tester or anything else that she should have with her. Miss Glasson doesn't have it either. So, where is it?"

"Her father made sure she had it this morning in her backpack." Mrs. Cravits told him.

"No I didn't. I thought you gave it to her when you tested her this morning." The father looked at his daughter and asked "Belinda, didn't you realize that you left this morning without your medicine?"

She looked around at everyone and, with tears streaming down her face, she answered "I don't want to take it anymore! None of the other kids have to stick needles in their arms and stomach!"

Again, both parents started talking "Belinda, love, you have to check your sugar!"

The father turned to Martin "Can you talk to her? Make her understand how important it is to keep her blood sugar under control?"

Belinda looked uneasily at Martin "Are you going to yell at me? You've helped me and told me what to do but I don't want to anymore. Why is it so important?"

Martin studied that little face and for the first time remembered how he felt when his father or professors yelled at him because he didn't understand something. June (he got the name wrong again!) would probably feel the same way if he spoke harshly to her. Louisa touched his arm and gave a silent message "Please don't be angry! She's just a child."

He sat down beside her and asked "Have you learning anything about anatomy yet? Like blood vessels and your major organs?"

Belinda nodded yes. She was listening.

"You know that your blood vessels carry nutrients to your organs like lungs, kidneys, heart – all over your body. Right?"

Again she nodded.

"If you don't test regularly and take your insulin, your blood sugar gets too high and you pass out like you did a few minutes ago. If I hadn't gotten here with the proper medicine, you could have died. Do you understand that? That you could have died? Don't nod. Answer me."

She nodded and answered "Yes, my grandfather died. We were all so sad. It's hard to believe that I'll never see him again."

"That's death and it could easily happen to you if _you don't do as I've shown you._ *The other thing you need to understand is that if your sugar isn't treated correctly, your blood will basically be delivering sugar to your organs instead of oxygen and nutrients and your organs will be damaged and could even stop working. It's vitally important that you understand what I'm saying! Tell me and your parents, do you understand what I'm telling you?'

Belinda had been listening and her eyes got bigger when he said 'that's death'. She nodded slowly and answered "Yes, I understand better now." Tears again ran down her face and she needed a tissue. Martin gave her a clean handkerchief.

"I'm sorry Mommy. I'm sorry Daddy. I won't forget again. Doc Martin, I'll take care of my sugar. I promise!"

Again Martin studied her face for a moment and answered "That's fine." And to her parents he said "Bring her into the surgery next week and we'll talk about sending her to an endocrinologist. We need to make absolutely sure that her medicine is the best for her condition." And he walked out, motioning to Louisa to follow.

When she joined him in the hall, he told her "I'm sure I don't need to tell you to keep an eye on her today. I'm almost tempted to send her home but I think both her parents work. Correct?"

Impressed that he actually considered that it might be difficult for either of the parents to miss work, and that he had so carefully answered Belinda's questions, Louisa gave him her special smile and replied "No, you don't. I'll alert her teacher. Should I make orange juice available just in case or what?"

"No. Just call me if anything else happens. I don't like seeing children with this problem. I'll see you at home." And he left.

The surgery just had two patients waiting when he got there. Morwenna had rescheduled the others. For the first time ever, he acknowledged her initiative with a slight nod and she beamed with pride. Immediately back to business, he said "Next patient."

The next day started off badly for Louisa and didn't improve. Two fifth year boys got in a fight on the playground and it seemed by the noise level that every other boy in the district was surrounding them yelling 'Fight! Fight!' By the time she and the other teachers got them rounded up and in the assembly room, the day was delayed by fifteen minutes. She called and dealt with their parents, and gave the children a consequence. And it got worse. In addition to one teacher already out on a personal leave day, two more called out saying they had the stomach flu. She combined classes and split her time being head teacher and teacher. The delivery truck carrying items for lunch was involved in a crash that blocked the road so no other trucks could get through. Everything that could be served was frozen solid. Louisa knew her village so quickly put out calls for help. The three major restaurants chipped in and provided lunch for everyone. Al collected it and brought it to school in time for lunch. Either the proprietors had attended the school or their children were students there. The village took care of its own. With all the kerfuffle, she didn't have time to eat anything except a couple of crackers and some water. The pipe in the girl's loo started leaking and the children, always ready for excitement, acted like the whole school was flooding. The plumber was called and the problem quickly fixed. Finally, _finally_ , school was dismissed. Sally, the secretary, was concerned by Louisa's appearance and told her she should take a break and rest for a few minutes "You really do look pale, luv. Please sit, just for a minute or so." Louisa was packing up work to take home with her, getting ready to lock the school up and the next thing she knew, she was on her office floor and Martin was kneeling over her and heard him asking "Louisa! Louisa! Can you hear me? Can you speak to me?"

She moaned and focused her eyes "Yes, I hear you. Stop shouting at me! What's wrong? You look awful!"

"You fainted! That's what's wrong with me. Now, lie still. Good." He checked her pupils, temperature, blood pressure, pulse and placed his hand gently on the baby. "Everything looks good. Any pains or twinges? Anything at all?"

"No, I think I'm fine. May I have some water, please?"

Martin nodded at Sally and she rushed out, returning in record time with a glass of water. He helped her sit up "Thank you. Both of you. I'm fine now. Let me stand up."

Martin snapped at her "I'll determine if you're fine or not! Sally, can you finish whatever Louisa was doing and I'll take her to the surgery."

Sally agreed and they watched as Louisa picked up the satchel full of papers and forms that she packed to take home with her.

Martin asked incredulously "What are you doing? Surely you don't think you're going to work on all that tonight, do you?"

"Well, yes I am. There wasn't time today and it has to be done." She slung the heavy satchel over one shoulder, her purse over the other one and held her briefcase in her hand.

Martin took everything from her and asked "What the devil are you doing? Don't you know that you shouldn't be carrying that much? Especially after you just fainted? Are you mad?"

"No, Mar-tin. I'm not _mad._ I'm accustomed to carrying work with me and I can carry that." She answered.

"No you're not! Sally, please assist her to my car. I'm taking her home." He left the satchel and briefcase in her office and joined her in the car with just her purse.

"Where are the rest of my things? I said I had to work on them tonight."

He replied firmly "No you don't have to work on them tonight! You need to eat a nutritious meal, drink fluids and then rest with your feet elevated. _You are pregnant_! And you should remember that you're carrying another life and be careful with it."

"You know, it almost slipped my mind _that I'm pregnant_! Thank god that you're here to remind me! Of course I know I'm pregnant! And I _am_ being careful! And, it's up to me whether or not I work at home! I have to complete some of those forms. They deal with funding for the next school year and are very, very important. Please drive back to the school so that I can get them." When he didn't immediately turn around, she turned red with anger and hissed "Now!"

He slammed on the brakes, turned towards her and gritted out "Louisa! If you won't be sensible, at least be reasonable. You rest with your feet elevated and I'll help you complete the damned forms! I'll read them to you and you can tell me what to put down. We'll work for no more than two hours max and then you go to bed. That's the _only_ way I'll go back to the school!"

They sat glaring at each other, neither wanting to give in. The stand-off ended when she felt the baby give an energetic kick. Her eyes and hand automatically went to her belly and she sat, thinking about the little leg or arm that made that movement. She sighed, looked at him and saw that he was still looking down at her hand. She reached over and moved his hand under hers "You're right. He's more important than anything else, especially the unending paperwork for the school. Let's go home."

Surprised that she gave in so easily, he patted the baby and drove home. As usual, he opened her car for her door, but this time, assisted her out and up the terrace steps. He walked behind her as she went upstairs and waited while she changed into her pajamas and robe. "Now, do you want to have your meal up here or downstairs on the sofa?"

She embraced him, softly kissed his neck and cheek and whispered "Before I answer that I want to thank you for giving the baby and me such loving care." Their arms around each other, they slowly rocked back and forth and he replied "I've never found anything easier or more pleasant to do."

"Ok, I'll rest on the sofa, eat supper and go to bed. I'm very tired."

He got her settled in bed and sat with her until she fell asleep. He put his hand on her belly and felt the baby move like it was turning flips or playing ball. He knew he was being fanciful but he could imagine the baby responding to his touch. Sitting in the lounge later trying to read the latest bmj, the sight of her unconscious on the floor was all he could think about. He tossed the journal aside, thought about working on a clock but that was also unappealing. He paced around looking for anything to distract him and ended up in the kitchen. A cup of tea sounded good. He took his tea out to the terrace and there was Buddy. He jumped up, tail wagging, ready to follow the person he considered to be his master. Martin looked down at him and said, more to himself than Buddy "Why do you stay here? You look like an intelligent dog and you must have noticed that I've done nothing to make you feel welcome. Why do you do it?" He sat on the top step, sipped his tea and looked out at the harbor with the lights from the boats and the stars reflecting on the water. It was beautiful. Buddy sat watching him, eyes alert and head tilted as if he was waiting for something. Martin looked back at him and remembered the dog he had loved so many years ago. That poor dog. Destroyed for no other reason than the hate an evil woman felt for her son. He tentatively reached out and touched the dog's head. His coat felt soft and warm. Martin looked back toward the harbor and unconsciously continued to stroke that warm, little body. He stayed there until he was numb and when he finally went upstairs, he thought of the woman he loved and their precious child who were both safe in his care. His mind was at peace. Buddy lay down with his back to the door and continued to guard the house.

During the following counseling sessions, Leslie carefully observed Martin's expressions and body language and was cautiously optimistic. Martin said that he had too much to look forward to and didn't want to waste his time looking back. He repeated what he had said to Louisa about giving his parents power over him by living in the past and how good it felt to be free from it. The phobia was still there but he didn't dwell on it as much. When Martin told him about the broken leg incident, Leslie was sure that he had made a major step in conquering his phobia. In Leslie's opinion, Martin was close to curing his phobia just by the change in his life style. When he remembered how traumatic the first sessions were compared to the current ones, he determined to lead Martin into a discussion about it. That could be very beneficial.

*This layman's explanation was given to me by a Hospice worker. It's very simple and easy to understand and I like to use it as an example.


	28. Chapter 28 doc

Chapter 28

Louisa was pushed to the limit between dealing with the end of term with its tests, forms, ceremonies, meetings and a myriad of other things that popped up every day and her wedding plans. It was hard to keep her mind on work when she was so excited about the wedding and the baby. He had grown so much and was constantly active. She sometimes felt like her insides were a punching bag. Other times that she was the amazing exploding woman. She realized how hard Martin was trying to not smother her but sometimes she wanted to scream – loudly! STOP FUSSING OVER ME! And she fantasized about a hot cup of _caffeinated_ coffee. School holidays would start in one week, she would have another week to finish all the paperwork, make sure all the current teachers would return for the next school year or start looking for replacements and ready the building for being closed for eight weeks. And a week after that, her wedding. Her due date was two weeks after that. Exhaustion was her constant companion and the holidays couldn't come quick enough.

Martin was swamped in the surgery. There was a constant stream of patients with all kinds of ailments from bunions to very serious heart problems and everything in between. Morwenna was becoming an excellent employee. Her judgment and organizational skills made his life so much easier much as his secretary in London had done. He gave her the title of Practice Manager and a fifteen percent raise. She took the title to heart and beamed with pride. He noted that she started dressing and acting more professionally – thank God. That clanking jewelry drove him mad some days. His nights were busy, too. He was called out at least once every night for two weeks. Some were true emergencies and some were (to put mildly) pains in the arse.

"You honestly think that a rash on your stomach is an emergency? For god's sake, go to bed and call for an appointment in the morning!"

"I've told you that unless you take the medicine that I prescribed for you, you will continue have indigestion. Indigestion is _not_ a heart attack! How hard is that to understand!"

"You called me out at three o'clock in the morning because you think you _might_ be pregnant because you had sex tonight! Where are your parents anyway? Tell them to call the surgery tomorrow to make an appointment! You need adult supervision!"

"All right Miss Redwork, I've called an ambulance and it's on the way. I've given you something for your heart and the ambulance workers are very skilled and well trained. I'll call ahead to the hospital to tell them you're coming. You'll be in good hands."

"This baby has whooping cough. Did you not take her in for her vaccinations? No? You're both idiots! This is a very serious disease and the baby could actually stop breathing. I'm calling an ambulance for her. I want to stress how serious this is and it could've been prevented if you had acted with even a modicum of sense! All this silly talk about vaccines being bad for babies is just that – SILLY! On top of all that, it's a highly contagious disease. I'm calling ahead to inform the emergency room doctor that the baby has not been protected from dangerous diseases and strongly recommend that you ask him to start giving her the protection she needs!"

"How did you fall? Changing a light bulb in the stairwell can be very dangerous. Why didn't you get someone to hold the ladder? Oh, you didn't want to disturb anyone at this time of night? How considerate of you! Now you've broken your leg and disturbed me! Oh, don't worry. I've already been out tonight on one fool's errand so why not again? You idiot! Stop moaning! The ambulance is on its way. You'll be well taken care of."

And on it went. Then there was Louisa and the baby. She was working too hard and looked exhausted but he knew better than to say anything. He'd like to keep his head on his shoulders! All he could do was prepare good, nutritious meals, make sure she drank plenty of fluids and take her vitamins. He exaggerated how tired he was so that she would go to bed early with him. They cuddled but had stopped having sex a month ago. They were both accustomed to a regular, healthy sex life and its absence put them both on edge. He drove her to school and made sure she had a ride when she finished work. The holidays couldn't come soon enough for him.

Louisa found it very difficult to keep her swimming routine. Martin suggested a treadmill and that turned out to be a good substitute until the baby dropped so low that she felt like he was going to fall out.* Martin hated to go when she couldn't. He tried to increase the walking around the village he did every day.

As for Buddy and Martin; they had reached an understanding. If the dog insisted on staying then he needed to be taken care of for the sake of Louisa and the baby. He couldn't expose them to a dirty dog with no vaccination record. A trip to the vet for an exam was scheduled and Buddy was pronounced healthy. After a bath, his coat turned out to be bright white and glossy brown. Everyone agreed that he was a very handsome dog except Martin who gave his usual response – humph. Vaccinations were done and they went home. Doc bought a sturdy, well insulated and water proof dog house for him. The side door of the surgery was more protected from bad weather than the front but Martin had a time convincing Buddy to sleep in it instead of guarding the front door. He put the new food and water bowls next to the house so Buddy finally accepted it. He quivered with pleasure the few times Martin reached down to pet him. Martin couldn't believe how soothing a relationship with a dog could be. It became a familiar sight to see the Doc striding through the village with Buddy at his side. Buddy shadowed his steps as if he had been trained to heel.

Eventually, Buddy went on house calls with Martin as long as he rode in the back seat. Louisa had never had a pet and was a little doubtful about having the dog around the house. He might harm the baby. It took Buddy no time at all to charm her. He was so well behaved that she couldn't help but trust him and grew to love him as part of the family.

The final day of school! Louisa almost cheered as the children ran out the door all excited about their holiday. The baby acted like he was celebrating, too. Louisa could have sworn that he was turning flips and he dropped low making her hips and back hurt. Her obstetrician told her it wouldn't be long and to pack a suitcase when she got home. When she told Martin, he nodded, mumbled something and hurried into the loo to take deep calming breaths.

The last week felt like a month! The staff worked steadily and by week's end, were ready to skip out the door to start their holidays. Louisa couldn't get all hers finished so ended up taking piles home with her. Martin helped her as much as he could but she told him "If I have to stop what I'm doing to tell you what to do, it takes twice as long to get anything accomplished. But, a cuppa would be wonderful." He accepted that all he could do for her was prepare healthy food, have plenty of liquids available and watch. He noticed that when she walked, she actually placed her hands under her belly as if she was trying to hold the baby up. She also held her back frequently so he knew she was uncomfortable. He bought a heating pad and messaged her back every morning and every night with cocoa butter. They sat in wonder as they watched her stomach moving knowing that it was their baby. At last, when she told him the last form was filled out and everything else finished, he brought her TWO chocolate digestives and a glass of milk to celebrate. The next day they walked out of the school together, he firmly pulled the door closed and she locked it.

Now, the wedding. Morwenna and Sally worked on the decorations but wouldn't let Louisa see them. When they were ready for the big reveal, they took her to Bert's for dinner then to Morwenna's house. The decorations were completely lovely. Louisa cooed and stroked and pictured the chapel all hung with flowers and streamers. "You've done excellent work! Oh, everything's going to be perfect! Thank you both for everything. May I take one to show Martin? Our wedding will be beautiful!"

Watching Martin try to act excited was touching and amusing. "Yes, it looks…well, yes. Very…um satisfactory."

She giggled and, with the baby in the way, had to stretch up to kiss him. "Yes, very satisfactory indeed!"

Joan and the florist worked on the flower arrangements. Moira, the florist, couldn't find peach flowers like Louisa wanted so they decided to dye some white ones. Perfect! Joan thought that a plain white boutonniere was best for Martin. Peach for Al and Bert.

Then, Louisa had a terrifying thought. "Martin, do you realize that we have to dance at the wedding? It's expected of us."

"So, what's the problem? One dance won't hurt us." He replied absent mindedly.

She was chewing her lip and tapping her fingers together "Can you dance? I've never learned! Mar-tin! We're going to look like proper fools! In front of everybody!"

"Yes, of course I can dance. It was required at school so I believe I can teach you. Stand up, please. Now place your left hand on my shoulder and place your right hand in mind. No, wait. Watch my feet." He did a simple box step. "Now, you try it except your steps are the opposite of mine. Understand?"

She stared at her feet as she clumsily tried to copy his steps.

"No, watch again. Now remember, your steps are opposite of mine. Hold my hands and let's do it together. One, two, three and four. One, two, three and four. Aarg! No, don't stop. Let's try again. One, two, three and four. One, two, hunh! Let's practice separately again." Good lord! The woman had absolutely no talent for dancing at _all!_ And it was just a simple box step!

She was blushing and trying to stay off his feet, listen to his count and do the opposite of his steps. She looked up and "Maybe if you held my waist and hand, I could feel what you're doing. Ok?"

"Well yes, that might work. Left hand on my shoulder and your right hand in mine. One, two, three, four. One, two, thre…Aarg!. Hm-m. Maybe the box step isn't the best choice. How about a more sim…I mean a prettier step? Same set up. Left hand goes, yes that's right. Now, a gentle rocking and we sort of go round and roun…Ouch! Yes that's enough for tonight. Is there particular music?"

She was humiliated. "Martin, we don't have time for this and your poor feet! I'm just going to say that my back hurts too much to dance. That's not a complete lie. My back hurts worse every day."

"It's up to you. It's not an ambition of mine to dance in front of the village idiots. But, your back pain does worry me. Go lie down and I'll massage it for you. We'll call Dr. Bailey in the morning." Just then, his mobile rang. "Ellingham. Yes. When did the pain start? Alright, stay where you are and I'll be there shortly." He turned to Louisa "It's Miss Sawls. You know she can't come in for an office visit. I'll be back as soon as I can. You go to bed with the heating pad." And he raced out the door. Buddy sprang up, ready for action. Martin opened the car door and he jumped in.

Miss Sawls was in poor health and, for some reason, she was special to Martin. Maybe because she was so self effacing, so helpless. And she never failed to thank him for whatever he did for her. He spoke gently and soon took care of her problem.

"I'm so sorry for bothering you like this, Doctor. It's just that I couldn't deal with the pain any longer."

He replied "Don't worry about calling me. I'll always come as quickly as I can. But where's your care giver? You shouldn't be alone."

"I know but she had a family emergency and took a few days off. I have plenty of food so I'll be alright." She answered.

"No, this won't do at all. I'll call Home Health first thing in the morning and someone will be here to help you until – what's her name again? – comes back. I'll return before lunch to check on your knee again. It shouldn't be this inflamed. Will you be alright until the morning?"

She replied in her soft voice "Yes, I'm fine. I think I'll be able to sleep. Thank you so much for coming and all that you do for me. Please tell Louisa that I wish I could come to the wedding but I don't think it will be possible."

He looked puzzled and asked "Is it because you won't have a ride? I can arrange one if you like."

"Oh, that would be wonderful? Are you sure I won't be a bother?" She was excited but very weary and pale.

'No, not a bother. Let me help you to your bedroom. You need to rest. I'll call you with the arrangements."

By the time he got home, Louisa was asleep, curled up on her side and snoring softly. He completed his usual bedtime routine and spooned up close to her. She mumbled and pulled his hand to rest on the baby.

Three days till the wedding.

*That's exactly what it felt like as I got closer to my due date. I literally felt like Michael Lee was going to fall out every time I stood up. It was a miserable feeling.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Martin went for his last counseling session before the wedding. He was a jumble of emotions and thoughts and had to use all his self discipline to focus on what he most wanted to talk about. It still took him a few minutes to really talk about what was on his mind. He talked about the wedding and Buddy and started on what happened with Miss Sawls but caught himself. His abrupt pause caused Leslie to look inquiringly at him.

Shaking his head, Martin said "I apologize for rambling. I want to talk about something that's been on my mind. I'm not a psychiatrist but it seems to me that a lot of my problems directly stem from the story I related to you about the dog."

Leslie sat forward in his chair and looked intently at his patient. "How so?"

"My Mother was so cold and hated me as evidenced by that story. For years I tried to please her, make myself better so that she would love me. I never expected anything from my Dad but contempt and punishment so his affect on me wasn't as…traumatic. But Mother." He paused and shook his head again.

Very interested in where Martin was taking this subject, Leslie encouraged him to continue. "Go on please. Tell me what problems."

"My dislike of dogs. Disgust with red meat. My inability to connect with people."

"And how do you think that affected you?" Leslie inquired with his fingers steepled.

"You remember the woman in the hospital that I couldn't operate on? Her family loved her and depended on her so much. They clung to her and she was comforting them with so much tenderness. She had no fear because, as she told me earlier, she had complete faith in me. She was the antithesis of my Mother. What I had wanted my Mother to be and how I wanted her to feel about me. In the operating room, I saw my Mother's face – so contemptuous and cruel. And my patient's face – gentle, loving. I think…do you think that my childhood experiences surfaced, finally crippled me?" Martin expression was pained and desperately questioning for an answer.

Leslie leaned back in his chair and thought for a moment. "Yes, I think that's very possible. Do you remember other things you told me? About the blood on your shirt? About the rare steak? Do you think that your blood issue started because of those things? I ask because you thought of your Mother and compared her to your patient."

After thinking for a minute, Martin nodded. "Yes, very much so. All I could see when I looked at her was the way her family clung to her. What if made a mistake that would take her away from them? The devastation they would feel! Yes, very likely."

"You've never mentioned the gardener before. Did he play a big role in your childhood?"

"Not really. I wasn't at home that much and hardly ever went outdoors. Couldn't get dirty you know. But he was a mean, vindictive man with the dirtiest teeth you would ever see. He knew he could get away with doing cruel little things to me – like pinching, throwing rocks at me, getting dirt on my clothes knowing that I'd be punished for it. He was always jumping out and leering at me when I was on the sidewalk either going to or coming from the car. Dad would just laugh. He was completely smitten with my mother. He'd do anything she said to do. I didn't like him and stayed away from him."

Leslie nodded and made several notes. "You look worn out Martin. Let's continue this after your honeymoon. What we've talked about is critical. Go home to your wife, eat a good meal and rest. Don't think about this until our next session. Alright? I'll see you both at the wedding."

Martin drove home with the warm evening sun in his face. In spite of Leslie telling him to not think about their conversation, it was roaming around his mind. "What if he was right? If he knew the cause of his phobia then surely Leslie could help him cure it. Would he want to go back to London? Do surgery again? What about Louisa? Pretty certain she would go if he asked but he was also certain that she and the baby would be happier in PortWenn, her home. The baby. It would go to the village school just like its mother. Know everyone in the village and everyone would know him, just like its mother. Have Bert, Jo and Auntie Joan as a big part of its life. Weren't those good things? Hold on, he _wasn't_ cured and their baby was due any day. 'There are many miles to go before I sleep'."

He arrived home and found Louisa curled up on the sofa sound asleep. She had the heating pad against her back. When they called the obstetrician, she said to not worry. Back pain was common at this stage of the pregnancy. When he started to object, Louisa shushed him. "You're a wonderful doctor. We both know that, but you're not _my_ doctor who's a specialist! Don't you think we should listen to her? Anyway, my due date isn't for another two weeks."

He stood looking down at her. She had her hands cupped around the baby. Even with her lying down, it looked lower that it had in the morning. He let her sleep and quietly started preparing dinner. He knew she was weary of eating fish but it was so nutritious. But, as a treat for her, he had stopped at a grocer's and bought two steaks and some good whole grain rolls. She liked her steak cooked medium which could be a problem for him but that didn't matter. He just wouldn't look at it. His, the few times he ever ate one, were always well done. A green salad and baked potato would round out a good meal for them.

Louisa woke from her nap feeling tired and a little nauseated. When she stood, she had to sit back down immediately. "James Henry, you stay put! Your Daddy and I have a wedding to go to." She stood again and carefully walked to the kitchen holding the baby up. Her back really hurt but best not say anything to Martin. He didn't need to worry after going to counseling. "Hello, my love. How was your trip?" She asked before kissing his cheek. "Oh my! Are those steaks? For both of us? Well, thank you. They're a nice change from fish and chicken! Can I do anything to help?"

"In order – good, yes, yes and, no, you can't. It's all under control. The important question is how are you? What did you do while I was gone and is your back still hurting? And the baby looks like it's dropped some more. Has it?" Martin rattled off his questions with that worried scowl he could get on his face.

She smoothed out his forehead and answered "In order - rested, some and yes. But that's all to be expected." She rested her cheek against his arm "Bert came to see me today with a healthy, delicious lunch. I wish you'd been here to enjoy it. That new menu is working out really well for him and he's lost more weight. And Joan called to check on us and to report on the flowers. Everything's under control and they will be beautiful. That's the extent of my activities. Is it alright if I ask about your session?"

"As soon as we eat, we'll go upstairs and I'll run a warm bath for you to soak in. Then I'll massage you back. Are you willing to go to bed early? With a heating pad? You can read or watch tv." He was scowling again.

"Actually that all sounds good. I think that doing nothing makes me tired but I don't feel like doing anything. I'm turning into a sluggard!" She stated matter of factly.

"Of course you're not a sluggard! You're pregnant as I keep telling you. And you're close to full term. It's natural for you to be tired and need plenty of rest. Sit down and I'll make you a cup of tea."

She sighed wistfully and asked "I wish coffee wasn't bad for the baby. A cup might wake me up."

He studied her face and posture. She really did look tired. "I don't think just one cup will hurt you that much. Do you want it now or when you eat?"

That perked her up a little and she answered "Now, please. Strong and black. I've missed a cup of coffee so much!"

He brewed a cup and she took it and wrapped her hands around the cup and, with her eyes closed, she breathed in the rich smell with a satisfied look on that lovely face and started sipping it slowly. He thought that, if it brought her that much satisfaction, then it was worth it.

Although he bought small steaks and she had been craving beef, she couldn't eat even half of it and almost no baked potato. "I'm sorry, Martin. I've been feeling a little nauseated and can't eat any more tonight. Maybe I can finish it later."

His appetite left him with that news. "Is there anything else I can fix? Anything at all?"

"No, not right now. I did eat a fairly good lunch you know. I'll be ok. But, there are a couple of things I want to discuss before we go upstairs."

He nodded.

"Ok, the first thing is that I know you didn't answer by question about yout therapy." He started to explain but she held up a hand and said 'No, you don't have to explain. Just tell me – was it good or do I need to worry?"

"No. I know I didn't answer but it was good. I'm just not ready to talk about it yet." He answered.

"You don't have to explain. I'm just glad you're ok with it. Second thing - Tomorrow night, I think I should stay at my cottage the night before our wedding. Tradition you know. What do you think?" She stood up trying to ease the pain in her back.

"I think it's a very bad idea! I want you here where I can keep an idea on you. What about tradition anyway! Tradition says you shouldn't even be pregnant before the wedding!"

She stretched her back and replied "Well, you're right about that. How can we work out that you don't see me in my wedding dress before the ceremony?"

Confused, he asked "See you? In your wedding dress? What difference can that possibly make? I've seen it! I see you every day so why is one dress so different than any other dress? That makes no sense!"

She knew him well enough to know that all this resistance came from worry. And that knowledge was precious to her. "It may not make sense but that's what people do in this situation. The first time you see me in my wedding dress should be at the church. Now, how can we accomplish that?"

"Let's finish this upstairs." He walked behind her with his hand covering hers on her lower back. She undressed while he ran the hot water. Then he held her arm while she sank into hot water with a contented sigh. He put a pillow behind her head and she lay with her eyes closed.

"Now, as to how we accomplish me not seeing you before the ceremony. How about this – I dress in the nursery and go to the church. You dress in here and Morwenna can drive you to the church. Will that work?" He was perched on the toilet, elbows on his knees and hands clasped.

She laughed softly, "You are truly handy to have around. Yes, that will work beautifully. Will you call Morwenna and ask if it's ok with her?"

"Don't worry, I'll call her. All you need to do take care of yourself and the baby and show up on time tomorrow. Let me know when the water gets cool and I'll help you get out." He went to the bedroom and undressed. He had discovered that a jumper and boxer shorts were much more comfortable to sleep in than his old pjs. Much more of his skin exposed to touch hers while sleeping.

He helped her out of the tub, dried her off and she lay face down as much as her stomach would allow so he could rub her back. She actually fell asleep before he finished. He covered her up and went back downstairs to call Morwenna.

"Yeah Doc, I'd be glad to but I have to help Caroline decorate the church, too. I'll call her to schedule it and call you back. Ok?"

He had no doubt that she could work it out. A most reliable young woman! He was tired and a little worried so went out on the terrace or a while. Buddy was there, of course, and they sat together looking at the view. At least Buddy did. Martin's thoughts were turned inward. The wedding, the baby, his phobia, maybe a cure, PortWenn, surgery. Round and round they went. Finally exhausted, he went to bed and snuggled against his soon to be wife.

He had surgery as usual that morning but had arranged with Chris Parsons to send any patients that might need help after lunch to Wadebridge. A gp from there would cover any emergencies. Morwenna had arranged to meet Carolina at 10:00 am to decorate the church. They finished and she was at the surgery in plenty of time to help Louisa. All seemed to be under control.

The wedding was scheduled for 2:00, he closed the surgery at 12:00 and went upstairs to bathe and dress. Louisa kept out of sight and yelled goodbye through the door. He snorted and with a "Humph!" left for the church.

Louisa took a soothing, fragrant bubble bath. Morwenna helped her wash her hair and style it into an intricate twist on the back of her head. She prepared her body much as she had when Martin came to her cottage for dinner so many months ago except she couldn't reach her toes to polish her toenails. If only her back didn't hurt quite so much. "I swear, this baby is going to fall out of me when I'm walking down the aisle!" Her silk underwear felt so luxurious! Why didn't she wear silk all the time? She carefully stepped into her dress and Morwenna helped her put it on and fastened it. Her good earrings and veil completed the outfit. Morwenna gave a soft whistle "Louiser, that is a beautiful dress! But, you don't look so good. What's wrong? Not nerves is it?"

"No, of course it's not nerves! It's the baby. He's really making me uncomfortable. I'm sorry but I think I need to hold your arm going down the stairs. I'm woozy." Louisa had a film of perspiration on her brow and she was still nauseated. "I hate to say it, but I'll be glad when this wedding is over. And don't look like that when we get to the church! Martin will worry and when he worries be somewhere else!"

Morwenna covered her with a long coat and assisted her to the car. "Here we go! Don't worry Louiser. It'll soon be over. Try to relax and enjoy it."


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Bert and Al were at the chapel waiting for Martin. They were dressed in their best jackets but where they got their ties only they and god knew. They still looked casual to Martin's observant eyes. They both had huge smiles on their faces, so happy for their Louiser. He gave the wedding rings to Al, Joan put the boutonnieres in their lapels and Bert went to the front to wait for Louiser.

"Well Marty, what do you think of the decorations? Aren't they beautiful?" Joan asked him knowing full well that he hadn't noticed them.

"What?" he answered blankly.

"Marty! The decorations! The flowers! Don't tell me you haven't even noticed?" Joan exclaimed.

"Of course I've noticed! Er-r-r satisfactory." He looked around obviously trying to see what she was talking about. "Oh! Those things on the pews. What are they for?"

"To make your wedded beautiful - streamers, ribbons, flowers! Typical of what one sees at a wedding. The white material on the floor has plastic on the back so dirt won't be tracked on the floors. What about the flowers? Do you like them?" She was beginning to get amused. This behavior was so typical of Marty.

"Well, er yes. Satisfactory. Why are all these people here? This isn't an exhibition!" Martin was offended by what he thought were gawkers.

"Marty, they're guests. You know, people Louisa invited to your wedding. People you're supposed to be polite to. For Louisa's sake." Joan said hopefully.

Martin nervously looked at his watch. The vicar smiled his usual vacuous smile and Joan walked to the front to wait with Bert for Louisa. And, there she was. Martin turned to look for her again and saw her. The soft light was behind her and he thought that, if there were angels on earth, he was looking at one now. Then the music started. Startled, everyone turned to see Mrs. Tishell sitting at the organ playing the bridal march so slowly that it sounded funereal instead of celebratory. Then, god help them, she started to sing in a high falsetto! Someone was heard to utter "Holy shite! She sounds just like Tiny Tim!" and the ones old enough to remember, burst into laughter. Stunned at the noise, Martin caught Roger Fenn's attention and made a slashing sign with his hand and pointed to Mrs. Tishell. Roger nodded and walked to the organ and said something to her. She continued to play and sing while looking at him innocently. He repeated his message from Martin in a louder voice. "Thank you Mrs. Tishell, Doc wants me to take over now." She looked at him with that flirtatious, coy smile and said "Whatever you say, Mr. Fenn." And got up and sashayed to a pew smiling triumphantly. Why? Nobody had the least idea why but thank goodness somebody stopped her! Roger looked back at Martin and pointed to the organ and himself with a questioning look. Martin, relieved, nodded and beautiful music filled the chapel.

Bert and Louisa started down the aisle with Joan behind them. Louisa smile was more of a grimace and she was almost waddling. Bert put his arm around her waist and looked scared to death. They reached the altar and he put her hand in Martin's. He gripped it tightly and the guests were startled at the look on his face – tender worship. On Doc's face?

Then there was Louiser. She didn't look like herself at all. She gripped Doc's hand and was so pale! Joan was trying to smile but looked more worried than anything.

The vicar started the ceremony. He was in his element – a full chapel, beautiful music, his best robes. He spoke slowly and pompously. Louisa bent over and some of them could hear a tiny moan. Martin bent over with her and was whispering to her. She shook her head and everyone could hear her say "Please hurry! I mean it – hurry!" The vicar, startled, stuttered and lost his place.

Martin, with his arm around Louisa interrupted "Louisa, I love you and will never leave you. Now you."

She gritted out "Martin, I love you and will never leave you."

Al caught on and handed Martin the rings. He immediately put Louisa's on her finger and she, with shaking hands, pushed his on his finger. Al whispered urgently to the vicar. "Pronounce them man and wife. Now! Do it!"

"Uh, I now, oh dear! This is very unusual! I uh…now pronounce, uh, well you two of course, man and wife. Do you want to kiss…that is, you may kiss Al. I mean the bride! You may kiss the bride!" His voice rose with alarm "Are you telling me she's in labor? Now? In my chapel?" And he stumbled back and fell with a scream and terrible moan. Al promptly called for an ambulance.

Martin, holding her up "Where can I take her? Tell me someone! Where can I take her?"

Joan spoke up and told him there was a study to the right in the back of the chapel. Morwenna immediately ran to Caroline's car and got the roll of the plastic backed paper they used in the aisle and, as she rushed by, Miss Sawls reached out with a beautiful, extra soft shawl to wrap the baby in. "Thanks." Said Morwenna breathlessly and hurried to the study.

"Oh god Martin. I think he's coming now!" Louisa was clearly in agony.

"Are you having labor pains? How far apart are they?" He spoke clearly and calmly like this happened every day.

Morwenna rushed in with the paper. "Here Doc, let me and Mrs. Norton spread this on the sofa and floor to protect'em. This is water proof. Here Mrs. Norton, grab this end." She looked up and said "She's gonna need protection after the baby gets here. Be back in a shake." She ran out and whispered to some of the younger women if they had any sanitary napkins that Louiser could have. She quickly collected five. "Thanks, all of you." And ran to the little kitchenette and took all the towels she could find plus a pair of scissors and hurried back to the study. Then she ran back and found the biggest bowl available and filled it with water and grabbed a bottle of alcohol. And back to the study. She poured alcohol over the scissors and held them ready for the Doc.

Joan and Martin had removed the wedding dress, veil and that expensive silk underwear. The only things she had on were her bra and slip. Louisa moaned "My shoes. Somebody get my shoes please. They're brand new!"

Martin stripped off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves while saying "Louisa! For god's sake! Oh, never mind. Now, relax. I've got your shoes. Lie down of the sofa with your knees up. Come on, lie down. Is your back alright? Labor pains yet?"

"Yes and my water just bro…aou-u-u-u! I'm making a mess! And in the chapel! Oh, that hurt. Uh-h-h-h, oh-h-h-h this is awful! Martin, he's coming. Don't let him fall on the floor! Martin! Aou-u-u-u" and she screamed.

"It's crowning! Louisa you must push when I say. Now…push! Push! His head is almost out. Push! I know it hurts Louisa, but you must push!"

He worked his hands around those little shoulders and helped guide it out. Her moans of agony were cutting into him but his years of practice helped him remain calm. "Push Louisa! Please Louisa. Push! That's it. Here it comes. Louisa, we have a boy!" He quickly dealt with the cord, cleaned the nose and checked the mouth. And he didn't cry. They all waited anxiously as Martin gently rubbed that tiny body and tickled the feet. Then, the wail of a newborn baby! He quickly laid him on Louisa's chest and she cuddled him and said happily "It's a boy! We have a boy! Hello, James Henry. Welcome to the world."

Martin draped the soft shawl across them and Joan and Morwenna were bending down to look, cooing and awing. Bert yelled through the door "Well, ain't you gonna tell us wot it is? Come on Doc!"

Morwenna ran to the door and opened it just enough to tell Bert "It's a boy! You're grand-daddy to a boy! Al, you're an uncle!" Everyone in the church either cheered or aw-w-w-ed except Mrs. Tishell. She promptly left and anger was clear on her face. "Oh well, that's a shame but just more food for the rest of us!" was the consensus of the rest of the guests.

Louisa smiled at Martin and asked "Do you want to hold him?"

He looked doubtful and answered "I'd better not. I don't know anything about babies. I might do something wrong."

"You could learn. Here, take him." Louisa smiled at him as he held the baby with those big hands at eye level and looked at him with wonder and so much love! Joan and Morwenna were watching with tears in their eyes.

"Isn't he beautiful, Martin?" Louisa asked.

As in the hospital during Louisa's first scan, the father couldn't speak so the doctor did. "His head is a little misshapen. It frequently happens as the baby passes through the birth canal…"

"Marty! For heaven's sake!" Joan exclaimed. Louisa shook her head and smiled at him. She had seen his face and knew how he felt. That was enough.

Martin answered "What?" in a defensive voice.

"Joan, want to hold your great-nephew? You two are going to spend a lot of time together, you know." She asked Joan.

"Oh yes!" She carefully took him from Martin and tears flowed down her face. "Marty, wipe my face please. Thank you. He's perfect! Look at his hands Morwenna! They're just like Martin's. All right, little man. I'll give you back to your Mommy."

Martin went to the kitchenette and washed his hands and arms, absent mindedly noticing that they were covered with blood and after birth and hurried back to Louisa.

Al called through the door "Doc, can you come look at the vicar? He's still on the floor moaning somethin' awful!"

Martin touched the baby's back and Louisa's face and sighed. "I'd better go see what's wrong. I heard Al call for an ambulance and it might have to take both of you to the hospital."

"Oh, he just peed on me! Joan, he just peed on his Mother! I never thought _that_ would be sweet!" All three laughed at that. "Morwenna, would you like to hold him? Pee and all?"

"Thought you'd never ask! I love babies." She rocked him a little in her arms cooing and smiling. "You know, if you ever need a baby sitter…" She left the offer hanging in the air and smiled questioningly at Louisa.

"Thank you! That's so sweet of you. Yes, you're definitely on the list!"

While they were admiring the baby, Martin was dealing with the vicar and determined that when he fell backwards, he sprained his ankle. "Al, can you ask someone you trust to get my medical bag out of my car?"

Nodding, he said "Keys, Doc?" He caught them and quickly returned with the bag. He held them out to the doc but he shook his head.

"No, you keep them if you don't mind driving to Truro to pick me up later." Doc said as he got a bandage out of his bag and wrapped the vicar's ankle.

"No, course not." Al replied, a little shocked at being allowed to drive the Doc's posh car.

"Alright Vicar, this shot will help with the pain. You have a record of high blood pressure and heart problems so will someone be with you tonight? I won't be seeing patients but my answering machine has the contact information for the doctor on call for the coming week if you need to see him. And Mrs. Tishell can furnish crutches for you."

The vicar moaned feebly "Yes, my wife will be with me." Al and Martin assisted him to his feet and he sat down pale, sweating and mumbling "Never in my life…labor!...mumble, mumble…wot's my study look like…worst wedding ever in my life…" His wife joined him and they mumbled together while shooting dark looks at the Doc. Joan huffily assured them that the study was just fine, thank you very much! She and Morwenna had cleaned up the mess and left it spotless. They made short work of it thanks to Morwenna's foresight in using the floor covering. The towels would be washed and returned.

"I hear the ambulance. Bert, would you or Al show them to the study? I'll get Louisa and the baby ready to go."

Bert nodded and hurried out to meet the ambulance workers. No one left the church. This was the best wedding any of them could remember attending.

Louisa was wheeled out on the stretcher with James Henry still on her chest. She smiled at everyone and accepted their congratulations. Martin whispered his thanks to Miss Sawls and said he would return her shawl later. The guests sitting close to the aisle strained to look at the baby but couldn't see a thing. That didn't stop some of them from talking about what a beautiful baby he was. A real credit to the village, he was! Louisa, James Henry and Martin left in the ambulance and Bert made an announcement "Ok everybody, the reception's up at the hall so everyone who's goin', just go. Food and drink'll be set up shortly. Just someone please save some cake for Louiser and the Doc. Let's celebrate! I'm a grand-daddy! Hip, hip, hooray!" The others took up the call and James Henry was welcomed in to the village. Everyone said the reception was great and if only Louiser and Martin could see how much they were enjoying themselves. Well, maybe not the Doc! There were more than a few remarks like 'It's a blessing that he don't look like his grand-daddy! Ain't that right, Bert?' and 'What if the poor tyke looks like the Doc? Lord help him!' Each remark was followed by riotous laughter. Someone, no one would say who, managed to sneak in some beer and the reception really got merry and lasted long after the food ran out. Al ended up paying the dj overtime. He and Morwenna started out talking about what had happened and ended up spending the whole evening together. They danced, talked, danced a little closer and talked – about everything. He kissed her good night and both walked home with smiles on their faces.

Joan cut a piece of the cake and dropped it off at the surgery. She drove home thinking about her new nephew and his father. How she loved them both! The next few weeks should be very interesting!

 **My labor with Michael Lee was just like this. He wasn't born in a chapel of course. The doctor and hospital were upset because I checked in so early. I kept telling them that if I stood up, he would fall out. It was about 12:00 pm and they told my husband he could go home if he wanted to because the baby wouldn't come until after midnight. Mike was born in less than an hour. I didn't have labor pains until they broke my water then yikes!**


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Louisa rested contentedly on the way to the hospital. Martin hooked her up to the blood pressure monitor and kept a close eye on her and their baby. A boy! She had been right all along. He couldn't understand how he could already love it, he just knew that he did. When he told Louisa of this strange thing, she smiled and said "You already had a place in your heart waiting for him. If we're lucky enough to have another one, there's a place for it, too."

The trip was uneventful and the midwife said that mother and baby were fine and could go home. Martin stood holding the baby looking down at that strange little body and the blonde tuft of hair on the top of his head while Louisa was cleaned up and dressed in a hospital gown for her trip home. He remembered what Chris had told him that night he had panicked and found that it was true. He had a deep and abiding love for his family. _His family_. How did a miserable bugger like himself ever deserve them. He welcomed the duty of care that came with his family and promised silently that he would never fail them. The only other people he loved were Auntie Joan and Aunt Ruth. He didn't see Aunt Ruth very often but there was still affection between them. He was sure that Auntie Joan would call her but would ask just to make sure. He hoped she would come for a visit.

"They've brought the wheelchair so you're ready to leave. You certainly have a beautiful baby. Mrs. Ellingham. Congratulations!" The midwife said cheerfully as she helped Louisa. "I have to roll you out so come along. I wager you're excited to take your baby home. Got the nursery set up yet?"

Martin listened to Louisa chat with this stranger and couldn't understand how she did it. The 'gift of gab' wasn't in his repertoire and never would be. He had called Al earlier and he was waiting in the lobby for them. "Hey, Louiser. Can I see my nephew? Wow! He's a beaut! Looks like you Doc."

Martin grunted and helped Louisa to the car. Pointing to the car seat, he asked "Where did that come from?"

"Penhale put it in. He says it's the law that you gotta have one for the baby. Need any help?" Al hovered, ready to assist in any way needed.

"Did he show you how to hook it once the baby's in it? Wait, Louisa. Let Al help you in." Martin was examining the seat, making sure it was attached securely to the car.

"Hold on a sec. There Louiser, safe and sound." He kissed her cheek and whispered "You did great, Sis! Give me James Henry so we can get movin'. Hey, nephew, I'm your Uncle Al." He carefully carried the baby to the other side of the car. "Here Doc, take the baby and I'll show you. Now, put him in it. See those straps, they come over his shoulders and hook between his legs right there. Looks easy enough. The hard part was getting' it hooked to the car. Poor Joe! He wanted it to be safe for the baby. He's so proud you'd think it was his!" Al was certainly the proud and helpful uncle. "Are you drivin' Doc? Or me? Alright, here's the keys. This is some car to drive!

Once they were in the car and on the road, Al could sense that Doc didn't want to talk and Louisa dozed off. So, he just enjoyed the ride.

When they pulled into the parking spot, Buddy started barking joyously to welcome them home. Louisa woke with a start and reached automatically for James Henry. Martin got out, shushed the dog and got his family safely out of the car. Buddy sniffed and looked up at the bundle Louisa was carrying. Whatever it was smelled like his master but different somehow. He certainly hoped he'd get to examine it up close. But right now, he was ordered to hush and stay so he did but his little body quivered with excitement. Al went in the house with them and said proudly, "I don't know much about babies but he sure looks like a good'un to me. Congratulations! Both of you. I'll leave now but if either of you need anythin', anythin' at all, just call me. I can baby sit when he gets a little older you know. Ok?" He gently touched the baby and left.

James Henry started to stir and wailed, startling his new parents. Louisa said "I think he's hungry. Better try to feed him." She turned for Martin to untie her gown and sat down on the sofa. When she pulled it down exposing her full breast, he turned away in embarrassment.

"Martin, what's wrong? As many times as you've seen and touched my breasts! Surely you're not embarrassed?" She asked in amazement.

He heard her squeak as the baby latched on and could hear him sucking eagerly.

Without looking at her, he said "No, of course not. I'll just…umm-m…check the nursery. Make sure the crib is ready." And he left, hurrying upstairs. Of course, the crib was ready and Louisa had stocked the nursery with everything the baby could possibly need. He should have a quick sponge bath and dressed when Louisa finished feeding him. When Martin went back downstairs, Louisa was asleep on the sofa with the baby sleeping on her torso. Thank goodness she had covered her breast! He gently picked up the baby, took him upstairs and laid him in the crib. He turned to tiptoe out of the room but found that he was drawn back to the crib. He stood there soaking in the sight of his sleeping son. The baby still looked strange but beautiful at the same time. Martin placed his hand gently on that tiny tummy and felt little breaths going in and out. He put two fingers on its forehead to check its temperature. That started a habit that would continue for years. He finally went downstairs to check on his wife. She was still sleeping soundly and snoring softly. He needed activity but he couldn't leave the house in case they needed him. He checked the fridge for something to cook for dinner and found a casserole dish ready to go in the cooker. Bert! Martin called to thank and invite him to come see his grandson. Bert happily accepted but thought that he had better wait till tomorrow morning. And, he had a real surprise for them, too! But right now, best let the new parents and baby get situated.

Bert might think it wise to wait till tomorrow but not Penhale. Martin saw him pass by the kitchen window and hurried to open the door before he could ring the doorbell. "Hello Doc. Great wedding! And the reception! Wow! Just sorry you missed it. Don't worry, I kept an eye out for any miscreants. Gotta keep this village safe. Now, did you use the car seat? Because if you didn't, then that would be breaking the law." Joe talked in a loud voice, obviously trying to attract Louisa's attention plus, trying to edge his way into the house.

Martin shushed him. "Louisa and the baby are asleep. Yes, we used the car seat! Now, go away before you wake them up!"

"Sure thing Doc. Glad I could help. Dynamic duo, right?" And walked off, hands on the tool laden belt. Martin sighed with relief. He checked the time and turned on the cooker. They would eat later than usual but this had been an unusual day.

James Henry started crying and Louisa jumped up, not quite fully awake but automatically looking for the baby. Martin hurried towards the stairs motioning for her to come with him. He carefully helped her up the stairs and they looked at each other with trepidation and then the nursery door. Martin squared his shoulders and went in. Louisa looked on nervously as Martin took care of the baby. They had both read 'new parent' books but nothing prepared them for this first diaper change. A fountain of urine wet the front of Martin's suite and then - how in the world could something like that come out of a baby? Martin couldn't help but wrinkle his nose as he completed the task. Finally, James Henry was clean and sanitary, as his father put it, and he asked the new Mommy what to dress him in as he stripped off this jacket.

"Have you talked to Bert? Do you know when he's coming to see us?" Louisa asked as she looked for an outfit.

"Yes, he'll be here tomorrow. Why?"

"He gave the baby the cutest outfit! I want James Henry to wear it when his grand-dad comes to visit." She picked out a light blue onesie with little green turtles on it. "Oh, this is precious! Let me put it on him. He looks so cute!"

Martin looked askance at what was supposed to be cute. "Turtles? On clothing? What's wrong with just plain blue? Oh well, as long as the baby is warm, clean and dry it didn't matter."

James wailed telling the world that he needed attention – now! Louisa looked at Martin and said "What do we do now? Maybe he's hungry again. Let me see."

Martin turned away and headed for the door when she said "Don't you dare walk out of this room and act like I'm doing something shameful I'm feeding our son and will be doing it for quite a while. Turn around and start getting used to it!"

Reluctantly, he turned around a looked at her. She sat down in the rocker and pulled her top down and the baby latched on. Martin gave tiny, almost furtive, little glances at first. When he finally really looked at her, he had no words. Just awe that the child he adored that they made together was being fed by his mother, the woman he worshipped. He knelt beside the rocker and put his hand on the baby and, with tears running down his face, smiled. Louisa kissed the top of his head and said "Hello, husband." He nodded and rested his head on her shoulder and watched.

James Henry went back to sleep with his mouth still on her nipple. She lifted him against her shoulder and winded him. Such a loud burp! She couldn't help but giggle and admit that she was proud even of his burps! They gingerly laid him back in the crib, covered him up and went downstairs to check on the casserole. It was ready so all Martin had to do was make a salad. She wanted to help and said she would prepare the drinks. "No, I'll take care of dinner. You sit and rest. As soon as we finish, you really should go upstairs and lie down. I've read that the best thing a new mother can do is sleep while the baby is sleeping because that might be all you get. You probably want a cup of coffee but the caffeine would be bad for James Henry. Are you aware of that?" He stated more than asked her.

"Yes-s-s Mar-tin, I'm aware! I could sure use a cup right now but I'll drink milk instead. That smells so good! It's shepherd's pie! Bert makes a good one and I'm starving." He poured her milk, got his water and turned on the kettle for tea.

"You will be his source of nourishment so a healthy diet is essential for his proper development." He said seriously.

"Well, it's a good thing that we already eat a healthy diet. I need to add more calcium but I think, that with my vitamins, I'll do alright. And the occasional biscuit. Don't you?"

"Yes, I do but additional protein is also essential. With careful planning, we'll cover all yours and James Henry's needs. It's ready, here's your plate. Neither of us has eaten since lunch and I couldn't eat much then. How about you?"

"Nothing. I felt nauseated and my back hurt so much. But I'm ready to make up for it!" She quickly cleaned her plate and asked for another helping – just a small one and more milk, please.

"I'm glad to see you enjoying your meal but, remember, you need to watch your calories if you want to lose the extra weight you put on."

She smiled and told him "Thank you. Bossy!" She wrinkled her nose at him but she was really touched and grateful for his care. "I know I'm fat right now but it won't last long. We both should start exercising again if we can work out a schedule."

He looked shocked at her remark. "You are certainly _not_ fat! Just a little extra weight, that's all. As to an exercise schedule, we can both be thinking about it. You won't start again for about six weeks, I would assume. Your gynecologist will advise you about it."

They barely finished eating when James Henry demanded attention. Just then, Morwenna knocked on the back door. "Hey Doc, Louisa! I thought maybe you could use a little help with just havin' the baby and all. He sure is bawlin'! Anything I can do?" She offered cheerfully.

Martin answered with his usual lack of charm "Yes. Clear up the dishes." And started to rush out of the room. Louisa grabbed his arm and added "Yes, thank you, Morwenna. It's very hectic right now and your help is very much appreciated. Now, excuse us please."

Morwenna grinned at them and shooed them out of the kitchen. "You go tend to James Henry. I know what to do and I'll lock the door behind me."

Martin wanted to dash up the stairs two at a time but knew that Louisa was to sore and tired for that so he carefully walked behind her to the nursery. James Henry was red faced and bawling. He was fed, winded, his diaper was clean but then he started crying again. What was wrong? Louisa automatically started to pick him up again but Martin had other ideas.

"If you pick him up, you'll spoil him. Sometimes, babies just need to cry." His hands were twitching and she could see the concern on his face. He wanted to pick James up, too. She stood by the crib hesitating, trying to decide what was the best thing to do. James gave an extra loud wail and they both reached for him. "Sit down and I'll hand him to you. Maybe he needs winding again."

She sat down and took the baby from him. She tried winding him, cuddling him, rocking him and, finally, singing to him. He was still crying. Martin watched nervously. Louisa looked ready to drop so he said "Louisa, take a shower and go to bed. You need rest. I'll take care of him and try to get him to go back to sleep."

"Thank you but I'm not the only one who needs rest. What about you?" She was so tired, but felt like she needed to protest his generosity.

"I'm used to it. I go out on calls at night all the time. And, I didn't just have a baby! Go on and take care of yourself. I'll deal with James." He said in a reasonable voice. She gave in and went to take her shower. Oh, she needed one and fresh clothes. She felt grubby and sore. His plan sounded wonderful.

James Henry continued to exercise his lungs. Martin was getting desperate. He was an excellent doctor but couldn't think of any medical reason for the baby to cry like this. He tried all the things Louisa tried with the same results. He sat down and randomly picked up a book and started reading. It was just a silly children's book but it worked. James snuffled a little and dozed off, his face resting on his father's shoulder. If Martin stopped reading, he stirred again and gave every sign of another crying fit. So Martin finished the book and, instead of re-reading it, repeated a lecture he had given once on a new medical procedure. Still talking, he laid James in the crib and covered him with a soft blanket. The baby made sucking sounds and continued to sleep. Thank god! Martin stood there just to make sure that all was well, then tiptoed out of the room and took a much needed trip to the loo himself. Shaved, showered and teeth brushed made him feel so much better. Louisa was already curled up and asleep. Good, because it probably wouldn't last long. James would need feeding again. "It's going to be a long time before we get a full night's sleep." He thought. Typically, he worried about Louise and didn't think about himself even once.


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Just two hours later James made his presence known again. Louisa went to the loo while Martin took care of the baby. Another diaper change but not as disgusting as the first and another stream of urine streaked across his pajama top. He wailed and it amazed his father that such a small person could pee so much and cry so loudly. The neighbors could probably hear him! Louisa was in the bed ready to feed him and, as before, James latched on like he was starving. His little fist kneaded her breast as he suckled and Martin sat on the bed watching over his family. Louisa's lovely face was bent over the baby and she watched in awe that such a perfect, beautiful little boy was now part of their family. He stayed asleep when laid back in the crib and the exhausted parents immediately went back to sleep. Like clockwork, two hours later, they did it all over again. That went on through the night so neither parent was anxious to leave their warm bed until called for another feeding.

They didn't make it downstairs for breakfast until after nine. When Bert knocked on the back door, they were still in their pjs and robes. Louisa was pale and weary looking but, what else would anyone expect her to be? Martin didn't look much better and grunted by way of greeting. Louisa smiled and offered coffee before taking the new grand-dad upstairs to the nursery. "Thanks for the coffee Doc. You do make a good cup! I said I had a present for you." He proudly pulled a vintage stroller in and said "Wot do you think of this, eh?"

"I remember that! It was Al's. I used to push him around the village in it. Oh, Bert! That's so kind! And, wasn't it yours, too, when you were a baby?" Louisa got up and walked around and admired the gift.

Martin sat silently and gazed at it with suspicion. "Was that thing even safe?" He would check it over and clean it thoroughly before putting their precious child in it.

"It sure was. Genuine antique. All cleaned and checked. Wouldn't take a chance on somethin' not completely safe for my grand-son! You can bet on that! Now, let's go see him."

They led him upstairs, all tiptoeing and shushing each other. James was sleeping contentedly and making little sucking noises. Bert softly touched that little hand with a pudgy finger and the baby's fingers automatically wrapped around it. He smiled broadly and whispered " Oh, hoo, hoo, hoo! What a beauty! Looks like me, don't you think?" And winked at them. He turned and quietly went back downstairs with the parents following him. "Oh my! What a splendid lit'le tyke. Doc, you could've spit him out! Ears 'n all!" Martin started at that remark and scowled at Bert. "I can just imagine him down on the platt, rock poolin' like you did Louiser. And buildin' the funniest looking sand castles! Eh, we had a good time didn't we, when you was lit'le. It's great to have another baby to think about. Well, you two look plum worn out so I'll go. And, don't worry about dinner – I'm sendin' up steamed monk fish, no butter and fresh vegetables just the way you like-em, Doc. And Tim is making a fresh batch of that whole grain bread that you like, Louiser. So try to rest and see you later."

Louisa hugged and kissed him. "Thank you Bert. You are always so good to me. Love you."

Bert grinned and hugged her back "Love you, too, girl." And he left.

Louisa sighed and sat back down to finish her breakfast. "We have so many good friends here and they do such lovely things for us. The village takes care of its own like I've always told you."

Someone knocked on the door and Martin got up to answer it. "Oh good gawd! Penhale again." He thought and stood scowling at him. He didn't have his usual idiotic smile and didn't speak. "Well, what do you want, Penhale?"

Joe was nervous and looked sad. Lousia was uneasy and repeated Martin's question,

"Yes Joe. What's wrong?"

"Uh, there's been an accident – well not an accident exactly. Just one vehicle involved." He told them, his voice shaking. He looked so miserable!

"Is it someone from the village?" Louisa asked fearfully.

Joe looked at Martin with his hands trembling and told him "It's your Aunt Joan. She died last night. Looks like when she was on her way home."

Martin didn't change expression, just calmly asked "How?"

"Coroner said heart attack. She was just sitting in her truck. Ran into a gorse bush." Martin didn't say anything so Joe continued "They need someone to identify the body and you're listed as next of kin so…."

Martin nodded, carried his dishes to the sink and went upstairs. Louisa was sobbing and Joe touched her shoulder and left. He had never felt worse in his life. Morwenna came in as he left, saw Louisa crying and, alarmed, asked "Louiser! What's wrong? Is it the baby?"

Louisa quickly reassured her and managed to choke out "No, Joe just told us the Joan is dead. Last night of a heart attack. Poor Martin!"

Morwenna walked over to her and hugged her. "Louiser, I'm so sorry. I just came to help with the housework and, maybe, see the baby. You go on up to Doc. I'll take care of the kitchen. Tell Doc I'm sorry. We all loved Joan."

Louisa, still crying, nodded and slowly went upstairs.

Martin was getting dressed, still expressionless and didn't speak. Louisa wasn't really sure what she should do. They had never experienced grief together. He must be hurting worse that she was. She needed comfort from him and he surely felt the same way so she walked up to him, took his face between her hands and with tears still running down her face, kissed him. "My love, I'm so sorry. We both loved her. Are you ok? What are you going to do?"

He didn't speak, just continued to get dressed. After he finished with his tie, he answered her. She thought he sounded more pensive than anything else. "Yes, I'm ok. Seventy-two. That's a good age and she got to meet James Henry. So that's a good thing. I'm going to id her body and make funeral arrangements. But, before I go, I'll call Aunt Ruth. She probably doesn't know about James Henry. Can you get in touch with Bert or Al or someone to come sit with you? I don't want to leave you alone."

"Martin I'm fine and am fine staying alone with James. Anyway, Morwenna just got here. She wanted to help with the housework and is cleaning up the kitchen. I'll ask her to stay and, she said to tell you how sorry she is." She looked at his expression and knew that he would grieve in his own way, to leave him alone until he showed some sign that he needed her.

Martin grunted, kissed her cheek, tiptoed into the nursery, felt James's forehead and went quickly down stairs. Morwenna didn't offer sympathy. She knew the Doc and could tell he was hurtin' and he didn't like chatter at the best of times. She agreed to stay with Louiser and the baby till he got back. He went to the consulting room and shut the door. He hadn't spoken to Aunt Ruth in months. They were more alike than he and Auntie Joan - both doctors though she was a psychiatrist, both brilliant and the top in their fields until he had to quit surgery, neither liked small talk and both were blunt and honest to a fault. They had always gotten on well together.

She answered "Well Martin. This must be a celebratory call. Of course, Joan told me about the baby. What is it?"

"It's a boy, James Henry, born yesterday just after Louisa and I were married." He had forgotten how dry her voice could be.

"How nice! I suppose I'm required to send a gift? That's perfectly alright. I never expected you to be a father so, congratulations. And how's the mother? Good Cornish stock so I'm sure she did fabulously. Is that all?" Straight and to the point! That's Aunt Ruth.

"She's fine and she did well. Aunt Ruth, the other reason I called is to tell you that Auntie Joan died last night. I just found out a few minutes ago." He was as calm as Ruth was. She didn't speak immediately so he waited patiently to answer any questions she might have.

"That's certainly unexpected. Heart attack?" Martin answered yes and she continued "With her diet it's not surprising that a heart attack killed her. Are you going to call your father?"

"I suppose he should be told. I'll call him after I know the funeral arrangements." Martin's voice had taken on a contemptuous tone. After the way he had treated Auntie Joan over the farm, Martin wanted nothing more than to never see either of his parents again. He certainly didn't want them around his family.

"Hum-m. Sounds like you feel the same way about my less than lovely brother as I do. You'll let me know about the funeral arrangements. Yes?" Ruth's voice was even dryer than usual when speaking of her brother.

"Of course. I'm going to identify her body now so I'll speak with you later." And he hung up, neither of them thinking to say goodbye.

Martin did what was required and left the mortuary. It was impossible that Auntie Joan was lying there. She must be at the farm fussing with her chickens, working on that ancient tractor or planning to come and see her new nephew. He signed the appropriate papers, told them he would use the PortWenn funeral home and left. A bubble was growing in his chest. It actually started to hurt as he drove home. Buddy was on the terrace waiting for him but instead of his usual barking and running around, he studied Martin's face, whimpered and sat still. Martin spoke to him, sat down on the terrace step, picked him up and Buddy snuggled his face against Martin's neck. Martin drew comfort from that warm, little body and Buddy lay quietly just as if he knew his master needed help. The bubble felt like it would burst any minute. He thought he needed some antacid. He rubbed the dog one more time and went into the house. Louisa was in the lounge feeding James Henry and Morwenna was dusting the furniture. They looked at his face trying to gauge his mood and hesitantly spoke to him, Louise first. "Hello my love. Did you see her?"

"Hey Doc. I'll just finish this and go. I'll be back tomorrow to see if you need anything. Bye Louiser. Bye James Henry." Morwenna, choking with unshed tears, waved and left them alone.

Martin had trouble speaking because of that distraction in his mid-section. He tried to swallow and answer her but his throat wouldn't cooperate. So he nodded. She patted the sofa next to her and he sat down and put his hand on the baby's stomach. "Louisa, I can't believe she's…" and the bubble started to burst. He trembled and looked helplessly at her "I just can't beli…" and the sobs tore out of his chest. He buried his face in his hands and cried as he hadn't cried since he was a child. Louisa laid James Henry next to her and embraced her husband and cried with him. "I know Martin. I know. She just can't be gone. I loved her so much!" He turned and pulled her onto his lap and, with his head on her breast, cried his grief away. After a few minutes, she raised his face and they looked at each other. She used the burp cloth to wipe their faces. He muttered "Thank you." She moved off his lap and he picked up James and held him close. "At least she got to see you. And she loved you, so much." The family sat close and the bond between grew.

 **The funeral was held two days later. I won't change how the funeral went and my story resumes after it's over.**

Aunt Ruth came to the surgery for dinner and they talked about her plans. In typical Ellingham fashion, her reaction to James was a dry "Lovely baby." And she gave him a stuffed koala bear and a blanket. "I don't know much about babies but I assume he will have toys and uses blankets."

"You know that she left you the farm." Martin informed her.

Ruth was stunned and not too happy with the news. "That blasted sister of mine! All I got her was a pair of slippers. She was determined to get me out of London where I'm happy and on to a farm where there are all sorts of smells and noises to deal with where I won't be happy! Now what am I going to do with it?"

"If you really don't want to keep it, land and houses in this area are going for quite a bit of money. You can sell it." Martin suggested.

Louisa kept quiet. She was fascinated to have two Ellinghams in one room. She had thought Martin was one of a kind!

"I think I'll stay there for a few days before I make up my mind. Maybe I can finally understand what her fascination was with chickens. Besides eating them of course."

A rare but wry smile was on Martin's face. "I've always secretly believed that she liked killing them. She certainly did it at every opportunity."

"Well, I can assure you that I won't be killing anything, much less chickens. I'll go now and see you later. Good night, family."

Louisa giggled and told Martin "She's certainly interesting! It's going to be very entertaining while she's here."

James Henry kept to his routine of wanting to eat every two hours for what seemed like weeks. Louisa wondered if she would finally become adjusted to lack of sleep and walking around like a zombie. It didn't bother Martin as much because, as he told her before, he was accustomed to having his sleep disturbed. But, time passed and babies change every day.

They were relaxing on the sofa and Martin was winding James. Louisa talked about when he was born. "It was just six weeks ago, Martin. He's six weeks old today. We'll have a story to tell him about his birth, won't we! And the mess! I'm so glad Morwenna had the foresight to bring in that floor covering. We would never have gotten the blood off everything."

Martin froze. For the first time he thought about the actual birth and what it was like. There was blood and he didn't react at all! Maybe because it was Louisa and their baby? If it had been someone else, would he have had his usual reaction? What if…? He had things to think about!

The next morning was Sunday and they were eating breakfast. James was lying in the crook of his Daddy's arm. He wasn't crying but he also wouldn't stay in the crib. So they were having a family breakfast. James looked as if he was staring at Martin while waving his fists and making sucking noises. His legs were kicking like a football player. Martin looked back at him studying his eyes. They were blue/green like his. Martin wouldn't say it but he hoped they would stay that color. In his opinion, the color of his eyes was the only unobjectionable thing about his appearance. Louisa was nibbling her toast and thinking how lucky she was to have Martin in her life. And James Henry smiled at his father.

"Louisa! Did you see that? He smiled at me." Martin exclaimed.

Louisa jumped up and ran around to stand beside her two men and watched excitedly.

"James Henry. Do you think you could smile again for your mother? She's watching you.

James didn't disappointment. He waved his fists, kicked his feet and grinned a big toothless grin. Louisa immediately began talking nonsense causing Martin to look at her like she was sprouting antlers. "Yes, Mar-tin! I'm talking baby talk. Isn't that right my little man? Oh, you're such a cutie pie! Yes, you are! Yes, you are!" And he grinned at his mother again.

The parents had discovered that when James turned six weeks old, he started settling into a routine. He slept longer between feedings and showed the beginnings of a personality. He liked being with them and watched their movements. Louisa said she had trouble remembering what it was like to not have him in the house. What did they think about? Talk about? He dominated every aspect of their lives.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

That afternoon Martin seized his chance to see if his reaction to blood now would be the same as it was in the chapel. He recited 'The Lake Isle of Innisfree' by Yeats to James as he rocked him to sleep. Martin quietly laid him in the crib and he continued to sleep. Such creamy skin and his blonde hair was getting thicker. Why couldn't all babies be this perfect? Their wardrobe wasn't that large so Louisa decided to take this opportunity to go through her clothes and get rid of anything she hadn't worn in the last two years. He told her he was going to run an errand and would be back as quickly as he could. She just nodded and studied each piece of clothing with a critical eye. He hurried downstairs to the privacy of the consulting room. He needed some blood. Where to get it in a hurry? There was an organic butcher no more than ten minutes away if he hurried. He walked as fast as he could with Buddy panting at his side. He bought cow liver and discovered to his dismay that he could walk even faster while carrying a dripping bag of bloody liver. Every dog within a mile smelled it and started following him. Buddy growled threateningly but there were too many for it to have any affect. Martin reached the surgery and held it over the kitchen sink watching the blood drip and pool when it hit the enamel. Now for the test. He dumped the liver into a bowl and there was certainly blood. He stood looking at it for a few minutes without any of the usual effects. Maybe, just maybe…he touched it with both hands. Nothing. It's just blood. He picked up a sharp knife and cut into it. Still nothing so he actually picked it up. Blood dripped off his finger tips. He could see it, smell it and he was touching it. Still nothing! "Don't get excited Ellingham! This isn't surgery! Calm and still. That's the ticket." He disposed of the liver by giving a chunk of it to Buddy and the rest to that pack of dogs. He paced the floor thinking again about what this could mean. He could finally leave this back of beyond place called PortWenn or, as Edith and Adrian called it, PortWhy. Surgery again! What he trained for, what he loved doing, what he was the best at doing. He paced the floor faster and faster, envisioning his office at Imperial, his stature among his peers. The welcome he would be given! "Slow down Ellingham. Slow down." He decided to call Leslie. He wasn't ready to talk to Louisa about this.

Leslie had an opening right away and Martin eagerly told him about the baby and his reactions to blood. He could go back to London, to surgery. But, in all his imaginings, he couldn't picture Louisa's face when he told her what he was thinking. Even worse, he couldn't picture her living in London. And James. Growing up in PortWenn, he would have the security of family and friends. In London, he wouldn't. Of course, he would never be sent away to a public school! Not only was he against it but Louisa would fight that idea tooth and nail. She said she was going to continue to be Head Teacher. She had told him more than once that she loved teaching and never wanted to give it up. But with her experience and talent, she could get a _good_ job in London. At a _good_ school and make a lot more money. James would have a babysitter until he started school – probably pre-school when he was three years old. They would have a nice flat – maybe overlooking a park. There were museums, theaters, fine restaurants, everything that little village didn't offer. And privacy! Surely Louisa would see the advantages of living in London. Didn't Leslie think so?

Leslie felt that Martin was trying to convince himself more than Louisa that London would be the best thing for the whole family. And his phobia? Getting a little ahead of himself. But how to lead him to see it for himself.

"You said you couldn't imagine Louisa's face when you told her about London. And that you couldn't picture her living there. Why?"

Martin was still lost in his imaginings. "Why? Because she's so tied to that ridiculous village! Yes, the village of the damned is the perfect place to live! Everybody knows everybody else and everything about their business. I can't sneeze without everybody for miles around knowing about it before nightfall. That's why!"

"Can you explain why she's so tied to the village? Why she thinks it's such a perfect place to live?" Leslie asked calmly.

"Because she says the village takes care of its own. She's friends with just about everybody. So many people brought food after she had James so that she wouldn't have to cook. They've offered to babysit. They've done the laundry. There's a group of old ladies who have sewing meetings at the leisure center and they made several of what they call 'burping cloths' to protect my suits. You lay them over your shoulder when winding the baby in case he spits up. They worry about _my suits_! When she takes James out in the stroller, it takes her thirty minutes just to walk to the platt. People come from everywhere to say hello and to see James Henry. She attended the school where she's Head Teacher and the board, students and parents all love her. Since she's become Head Teacher, PortWenn Primary School has had the highest overall test scores in the county. Is that enough? I can go on if your curiosity isn't satisfied!"

"No, that's enough. Now, can you tell me why you want to leave besides being a surgeon again?" Leslie was leaning back in his chair.

"Why I want to leave? Isn't it obvious?" Martin leapt to his feet and strode to the window. "The constant…well, I like privacy and you certainly don't get it in a village full of busybodies. Bringing food! They don't fold the laundry properly and…privacy. "

Leslie waited for him to continue. He stood staring out the window, sighed and walked back to the chair. He rubbed his face in his hands and finished "The reason is that I could be a surgeon again. That's the only advantage. And I'm certain that Louisa would consider what I see as privacy to be loneliness. Do I have a right to put my desires before the good of my family? I'm ashamed of myself. I'm absolutely convinced that my phobia is cured but I realize it's going to take time to convince my boss to give me a chance to prove it. I don't know if Imperial even has a place for me and yet I was planning to uproot Louisa from her home and James Henry from a life in which any child would prosper."

Leslie nodded in satisfaction. "Martin, everyone has selfish desires. It just depends on how far you're willing to pursue them. My suggestion is that you talk to Louisa. You can't know for sure what her reaction would be until you talk to her. As to your phobia, it sounds like you're making tremendous progress. There might be set backs or maybe not. Think about this – even if you don't become a surgeon again, your job as a gp will be so much easier for you."

Martin nodded and said in a dry voice. "Yes, not throwing up every time I see blood would be very advantageous. I need to talk to my wife. I wasn't accustomed to confiding in anyone but she expects and wants me to talk to her. And, she's a very good confidant."

Leslie stood up "I'm sure she is. Talk to her and if you both think it's a good idea, both of you come to your next appointment."

Martin sat in the parking lot undecided about what to do – his need to be with Louisa and James was eating at him but he wasn't ready to talk to her about the possibility of leaving PortWenn. The more he thought about it, the more confused he became. Now that there was a chance, a good chance, to go back to the life he had in London before the blasted phobia, he found it was less appealing than it should be. What was happening to him? The flat overlooking the park _had_ sounded ideal so why didn't it now? It was time to be honest with himself, come to terms with what he really wanted. Certainly the views in PortWenn were magnificent! But a London park…manicured, perfect, clean. But compared to the view from his terrace? No comparison. The busy streets, the pollution of London? The sounds and crisp, clean air of PortWenn? Again, no comparison. He never knew his neighbors in London and didn't want to. If he needed something, he called professionals. In PortWenn if he needed something there were always people ready to help with whatever it was whether or not he even wanted them to. In the village of idiots he met two very gifted children and there were sure to be more. And Louisa grew up and prospered in it. He was certain that James would, too. So maybe he should find another description for it. It seemed that doing surgery again was the only appeal London had. Did he really want that? In PortWenn, a thousand people depended on him – his skill, his knowledge, his readiness to put forth every effort to do and go where needed. He thrived on challenge and the village certainly offered him that. The snarky remarks of Edith and Adrian, two people for whom he had no personal respect shouldn't affect him in any way. Certainly not make him ashamed of his situation. They didn't know his village at all. His village? Where did that come from? Had he changed that much in four years without knowing it? Yes, he had changed in some ways but still desperately wanted to be a surgeon again. He needed to talk to Louisa, be honest with her. She was his partner and confident, more so than he ever realized until now. But, first he would talk to Chris.

Carol answered the phone and after a _very_ few pleasantries (Carol had known and liked Martin for years and also knew his quirks) "Hold on, he just walked into the room. Chris, it's Martin."

"Hello Martin. Good to hear from you."

"Yes." Martin, as usual, got straight to the point. "I need to meet with you to discuss something. When will it be convenient?"

"As soon as you want. But, how about you and Louisa come to dinner so we can finally meet James Henry? We can talk then. Hold on a minute." Chris and Carol got along well with Louisa and wanted to know her better.

Martin heard him talking to Carol and then he was back on the line. "How about this Saturday? Come around 4 and we can visit, eat and then have our talk. Would that be alright?"

"I need to check with Louisa before I answer that. I'll call you tomorrow morning." Martin ended the call, pulled out of the parking lot and headed for home.

Louisa had also been doing some soul searching. James was such an important part of her life. Watching him grow and develop was a joy. He was changing every day and she could see how he responded to different things in his environment. He got so excited when he saw his father or heard his voice. He was discovering his hands and feet. Did she want to miss a minute of it to be responsible for other people's children? To do the endless paperwork and reports that being Head Teacher demanded? She loved to teach but now her main job was paperwork. Did she want a baby sitter to tell her when he sat alone for the first time? The latest cute thing he did? No, she didn't. She and Martin should be his first and best teachers, not a hired babysitter no matter how good or qualified he or she was. Surely there was a way to have the best of both worlds. She needed to talk to Martin.

Martin pulled into the parking area of the surgery. Louisa had probably already eaten as it was long after their dinner time. He stopped long enough to greet an enthusiastic Buddy and entered through the back door to room full of wonderful smells – roast chicken, baked potatoes and steamed carrots. His stomach growled and he could hear Louisa reading to James Henry. He walked softly into the lounge and stood looking at his family. She was reading something about goodnight moon to him while he nursed. He could tell that James was through eating by the way he cooed and kicked his feet. Louisa smiled and lifted him to her shoulder and said "Alright, young man, I think you need winding. I hope your Daddy gets home in time to put you to bed." She looked up saw Martin. "Look, James! Here's your Daddy." He let out a loud burp and she turned him around so he could see Martin. He grinned hugely and kicked his feet, obviously glad to see his Daddy.

Martin hurried to pick him up nuzzling his nose in the baby's neck loving his baby smell. "Hello, James Henry. I certainly hope you've been a good boy today for your Mother."

"Oh, he has been. A perfect baby! Are you hungry? I've kept dinner warm so we could eat together." She asked after kissing him in greeting.

"Yes, starved! I thought you would've eaten ages ago. Thanks for waiting for me. Could you take him while I wash my hands, please? Sorry I'm so late. My session with Leslie went longer than usual." He told her as he went to the kitchen sink and washed his hands. She frowned a little at that but asked the usual, benign "How did it go?"

She handed James back to him and he gave the usual benign answer "It went fine."

Knowing she would have to be satisfied with what she considered to be a non-answer, she washed her hands and served their meal. "Tea or water?"


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

"I'm tired so a cup of coffee sounds better than anything else. This looks good. Do you mind if we talk after our meal? I just want to eat." He asked as he sat down and started eating with one hand. "We should get one of those seats to put James in while we're busy or eating. Much as I like holding you, James, I would have an easier time transferring food from my plate to my mouth if you were sitting somewhere else. Agree?" James grinned while chewing on a fist and kicked his feet in response.

"Actually, we have one. Caroline gave it to us and I've just never unpacked it. It would be a handy thing to have on hand. Want some more chicken or anything?" She asked as she got up to refill her water glass.

"Some more carrots and a glass of water, please. This is very good. Do we have fruit for afters?" She put a bowl of orange sections next to his plate. "Yes, and we also have bananas."

"No, this is enough." Martin ate the orange slices with relish.

James' mouth opened wide when he yawned and Louisa said "Uh-oh! We have a sleepy baby!"

They spoke at the same time. "Louisa, after he's asleep…" "Martin, when you come back down…"

"Excuse me, Louisa. I didn't mean to interrupt you. What did you say?" He asked.

"The same thing you did, I think. We both have something we want to talk about. I'll clean the dishes while you see to him. Then we can talk." She started toward the sink and turned back to look at him "Martin, is everything ok?"

"Yes, of course." He answered without looking at her which was unusual. He always gave her his full attention whenever they spoke to each other. "Hm-m-m." she said to herself.

He read one of James' many children's books while rocking him to sleep. He had certainly turned into a good sleeper – just waking, usually, once a night to nurse. Now, a quick shower before going back downstairs. Louisa had the kettle on when he came in the kitchen and sat down at the table. Again, they spoke at the same time. "What did you want to speak…" and "You wanted to talk…" This time she apologized. "Martin, what did you want to talk about? You said everything is ok, right?"

"Yes, but I'd rather you spoke first. What is it?" He knew he was stalling but couldn't help it.

Excited, she rushed into what she wanted to say. "Ok. I've looked at our finances but want to know what you think. What if I quit my job?"

He looked stunned and shook his head. "I would never've guessed you wanted to discuss that! You know what my salary is and what our investments bring in each month and what our outlays are. If an emergency arose, I still have part of the proceeds from selling my flat in London. So, yes, with careful planning, I think we would be fine. And, it would please me very much if you were here with James instead of some babysitter. I'm confident that you would choose a good one but you should be his primary caregiver and teacher until I finish in the surgery, then we both would be. He's your most important student and there's nothing more important than his welfare. What's brought this on?"

Louisa spoke earnestly "I've been thinking about it ever since he was born. It's like the first time he smiled. I want to be with him when he does something like that for the first time. Not be told about it at the end of the day! If I _had_ to work, it would be different but I agree with you. With careful management, we should be fine. I'll keep my teaching certification up to date and someday, I can go back to work as a teacher again."

He nodded as she spoke and then asked "Have you considered tutoring? And, you thought at one time that some people in the village would benefit from adult literacy classes."

"Yes, I've considered both those things. Since tutoring is usually done after school hours, by necessity, I would be busy with that instead of being with my family. Literacy classes would be the same. I also thought about signing up as a substitute teacher but that's too unpredictable. Can you think of anything else I could do?" She got up and paced the floor as she spoke.

"Not until James Henry starts pre-school. Then you could start in-school tutoring if the board would allow it. Or, you could start adult literacy classes. Does either of those ideas appeal?"

"Yes, very much so! I'll work up a proposal and present it to the board at the appropriate time. You're just pure genius!" She grinned at him and his ears turned red. He would never learn to accept praise!

He cleared his throat to cover his embarrassment and asked "When will you turn in your notice? It has to be soon, right?"

"Yes, I'll do it tomorrow." She sat down again and asked "Now, what do you want to talk about?"

Now, it was his turn to pace the floor and he actually looked _almost_ animated. "Do you remember the other day when you were talking about the mess in the chapel? The blood? Well, it dawned on me that the blood didn't affect me – no nausea, sweating or anything! I bought some really bloody beef liver and it had no effect either. I mean it was _dripping_ blood! I smelled it, touched it, cut into it and even picked it up. Still nothing. I think…I mean it's possible that this means that my phobia is cured. I'm not saying that it is but what _if it is?_ "

She answered calmly "It means you could do surgery again. That's what you've dreamed about. And, I'm pretty sure you won't be doing much surgery as a gp here in PortWenn."

"Yes, you're correct on all points. Where does that leave us?" He stopped pacing and stood looking intently at her.

She shook her head. "No, you tell me where it leaves us. Tell me what you'd really like to do. Surgery again in London? Or stay here as gp? And by the way, if it's true, I'm very happy for you, my love."

"Louisa…What I want is affected by what you want. What you think is best for you and James. Do you think you'd be happy if I were a surgeon instead of the gp here? Please be honest with me."

"Martin, I was raised in this village. It's been my home and I never thought about living anywhere else. Until I met you. If you think you'd be happier in London working in a big hospital again, doing surgery again, then by all means go for it." Her face and voice were calm.

"Until you met me. What does that mean?" He needed clarification of what she was saying.

"I mean until I met you, PortWenn was my home. Bert and Al were my family. They still are and I love them but I belong with you and James Henry. Not to sound god-awful mushy, which would make me really uncomfortable and I'm positive you'd hate – mine and James Henry's home is with you where ever that is. Clear now?" She asked.

If he ever needed proof that she loved him, this was it. He sat down and reached for her hands. "That means so much to me. I never expected you to say that! I've been thinking about what it would mean to be top of my field again. To be respected by my peers again. To be a surgeon again! Then I realized that doing surgery again was the only reason to leave here. I'll never feel as much at home here as you do but there's no comparison to living here and living in London.

She shook her head in humorous disbelief and said in a wry voice. "Yet you consistently call this the village of the damned or village of idiots. But I do agree with you when you say there's no comparison between here and London! But what do you mean when you say that surgery is the only reason to leave here?"

"I'm saying that, if possible, I want to be a surgeon again. But I don't have to live in London to be a surgeon. There's a very good hospital in Truro and it's less than one hour away. I called Chris and talked to him." He looked at her hesitantly and said "Don't get upset. It wasn't…I mean I didn't say anything about…well, about my phobia. I didn't talk to him about it before you. I just said that I want to talk to him. They've invited us for a visit and dinner this Saturday if that's alright with you." She nodded her head yes and said she'd love to see Carol again. "I'll call him in the morning to tell him we'll be there. But, this whole conversation means nothing if my phobia isn't cured." He didn't sound overly anxious which confused her a little.

"I'm afraid that you'll be totally miserable if all this doesn't work out and you have to stay here as gp. Please keep a level head about this. I couldn't bear it if you were even more unhappy here than you are now." She couldn't help but worry about what would happen if he had to stay in PortWenn. She meant what she said about living where he would be happiest but if his phobia _wasn't_ cured and he once again had to stay here as gp, would he ever he happy? How would that affect her life to say nothing of James Henry's.

"No, no. Don't worry about that. I've actually done some soul searching and it's made me realize that I'm actually _not_ unhappy here as a gp. As I said a few minutes ago, there's no comparison in living in London and living here. Pollution or fresh air? Traffic, constant noise and crowded streets or the beauty and quiet of PortWenn? No public school for James Henry so a crowded, impersonal school in London or the school here where his mother attended and probably will teach there again? So, if I can't be a surgeon again, I'm still a doctor with huge responsibilities and challenges. And, to repeat what you said a few minutes ago, I wanted more than anything to go back to London and work at Imperial as a surgeon – until I met you. I couldn't take you away from your home, your family, where you're so happy. I belong where ever you and James are." He sounded earnest and sure about what he said. "Clear now?"

She was stunned by this news. "Martin, thank you for saying that. But let's be absolutely sure – if your phobia is cured, you would be happy working at the hospital in Truro as a surgeon instead of London. And if it's not cured, you would be happy to still be the gp here in PortWenn. And you actually like living here. Did I state what you just said correctly?"

"Yes, you did. PortWenn is a beautiful, healthy place to live and raise a child. And acting as the gp here is very rewarding. As evidenced by the healthy menu choices at Bert's, some people are beginning to listen to me. There are a couple more issues but they can wait." He sat back in his chair looking tired but happy. Or at least as happy as he could look!

"No, please. Let not leave anything on the table. What are the other issues?" She didn't like unresolved issues.

"If my phobia is cured and I no longer need a consulting room, we'll have two rather large rooms to add to our living space. If my phobia is not cured and I'm still the gp, we may want to think about looking for a bigger house. Especially as we want another child." He raised his eyebrows as a silent question.

She nodded in agreement. "Prices around here just continue to go up so it won't be easy to find another house that we can afford. Especially without my salary. But, we don't have to decide anything tonight. Now, my issue." He looked quizzically at her and she continued. "When I was at the doctor's office yesterday for my check-up, he gave me the all clear to resume exercising and sex. I'm looking forward to swimming again but not nearly as much as having sex with you. Does that appeal to you?"

He didn't answer her directly. He stood and pulled her to her feet, pressed her against his groin with those big hands on her bum and kissed her until they were both breathless. When they broke apart, she rubbed against him and giggled softly. "Oh my! I'd say you're definitely interested! We don't actually have to go upstairs you know. We might wake James up and that would never do. Ever tried sex on your exam couch? I'm willing." And she walked toward the consulting room with a flirtatious smile directed at him. Later, they both agreed that as well as this effort went, they still needed much more practice. As a matter of fact, they practiced again that night.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Martin's week was one of excruciating slowness filled with the usual ailments, emergencies and house calls. The episodes dealing with blood and his reaction to them were the only excitement. He drew blood whenever necessary. The butcher came in with a severe gash on his hand that bled profusely. He stopped the bleeding, stitched and treated it. A fisherman had the biggest hook Martin had ever seen embedded in his wrist, and when removed, blood spurted across his face and on his clothing. A little even went up his nose. He dealt with all of them and had no reaction at all. It was just blood. He was more convinced each time that his phobia was cured. He called Leslie to tell him about his experiences and reaction to them. Leslie was confident of Martin's success but wanted to continue their sessions just in case of a setback. And, he was sure that the board and Dr. Black would want Martin to continue until cleared by them to recommence surgery. He agreed that Martin should talk to his superiors about his progress and wish to become a surgeon again.

Louisa promised herself that she would remain calm and not talk about the phobia unless he brought it up - which he didn't. She crossed her fingers, made deals with the all mighty, and everything else she could think of to ensure that things would work out for Martin. And herself and James Henry. Their happiness was so wrapped up in Martin's. She couldn't imagine her life without him in it. She didn't _want_ to imagine it!

Saturday finally arrived; Martin finished seeing patients and closed the surgery. He had drawn blood twice and treated a ragged, bloody tear that required several stitches on a surfer's leg. He felt at ease just as he had years ago while doing surgery. After a light lunch, he and Louisa loaded the Lexus with all the things that James Henry would need for his first real trip away from home. The only other times he had been in the car were to go to the doctor for his checkups. Martin performed his usual safety check on the car seat before strapping his son in it. He talked easily about Chris and Carol. He liked and respected her and they were comfortable in each other's company. Chris and he were firm friends and had been since they were in medical school together. They soon arrived and received a warm welcome. James Henry, a little unsure of these strangers and new surroundings, pressed close to his Father. Chris and Carol were eager to meet their friend's new baby but wisely kept their distance until he got accustomed to them. After chatting for a few minutes, Carol asked Louisa if she'd like to sit in the kitchen while she finished preparing dinner. The men could talk 'shop' until it was ready.

"Yes, I'd like that very much. Is there anything I can do to help? I'm Martin's trained assistant and have learned quite a bit about cooking from him." Louisa joked as they walked out of the lounge.

Carol giggled and said "And no doubt he's in his immaculate suit and tie even when he washes the dishes! But no thanks. The kids set the table for me after they ate their dinner and, basically, I just have to dish ours up. Well, actually you can help carry things to the table if you'd like." Carol was bustling around, handing bowls to Louisa and filling water glasses. "I cooked lamb chops and lots of fresh veggies. I know how to please Martin!"

"It smells wonderful! Here, let me take the water glasses to the table for you. Should I tell the men it's ready?" Louisa asked as she left the room.

"Yes, please. Chris is starving since he didn't have time to eat lunch today. Some days all he does is put out fires. I'm amazed that he can stay so calm through it all." Carol answered and carried the last of the dishes to the table.

Martin and Chris entered the dining room and Martin still had James Henry in his arms. "Mart, did you bring a carry all for him or should we make a pallet on the floor? Look! He just grinned at me. Hello, little tiger! Can Uncle Chris hold you for a moment?" Chris held James up so that they could look at each other's faces and the baby kicked and cooed in excitement. "Mart, Louisa – he's a fine baby. And strong! Look James, will you let your Auntie Carol hold you a moment?"

Carol eagerly took him in her arms and smiled and talked baby talk to him (Martin described it as ridiculous jabbering) and was rewarded with more grins and coos. He was fine until he saw his Daddy leave the room to get the new carry all. He stared at the door and started fussing so Louisa held him.

"Hush, James. Your Daddy will be right back. Hush now."

When Martin re-entered the dining room, James squealed with delight.

"My goodness! He's certainly a daddy's boy!" Carol exclaimed. This was wonderful! Their friend and his son obviously adored each other.

Martin put the seat on the floor between his and Louisa's chairs and placed James in it. As long as his parents were in sight, he was content and continued to kick and coo happily.

Chris carefully observed his friend. Martin hadn't given him any hints as to what they were to discuss. He looked calm and as happy as Martin was capable of looking, talked easily and seemed to enjoy the meal and the company. He knew that Martin was in counseling but had no information as to how it was going. If he knew his friend, it was bound to be interesting!

Dessert was a fruit tart that fit in with Martin's healthy eating regime. Martin gave Carol a nod of approval and Louisa verbally expressed her satisfaction with the meal. "It was wonderful! The lamb was perfectly cooked. Thank you for preparing it for us."

They all cleared the table over riding Carol's objections. "Martin and I share the chores at home and don't mind in the least helping you. If we all pitch in, we'll have more time together. So, let's work together and get it done." The men showed their agreement by their actions - one scraped, the other rinsed and Louisa loaded the dishwasher. Carol put away the leftovers and they finished quickly.

James Henry started to fret. It was his dinner time, too and he was letting Mommy know it! "I need to feed him. Is there a private place where I can go?"

Chris answered her "Yes, go to the lounge. Martin and I will go to my office and rejoin you later. Martin, shall we?"

Martin nodded and they left the room.

Louisa asked Carol "Do you mind if I feed him in the lounge? Or shall I go somewhere more private?"

"No, no. I don't mind at all. I nursed my boys, too, you know. Have you started him on cereal yet?" Carol replied as she helped Louisa get settled on the sofa.

"Why, no. His pediatrician said I shouldn't until he's six months old. Louisa was a little surprised at the question. "How old were your boys when you started feeding them cereal?"

"Things were different back then I guess. They were four weeks old and I made a thin mixture of my milk and rice cereal. They slept through the night after that. I fed them small portions three times a day, and a few weeks later, I started to add fruit and veggies. Then a little later, meat." Carol replied. "They did fine. I wonder why it changed."

"I don't know but I'm going to talk to our pediatrician about it. My milk won't be enough for much longer. He had been nursing just once a night for a couple of weeks but now he's waking up four and five times a night again. He's getting hungry more often and nurses longer. I'll talk to Martin, too. I bet he knows the whys and wherefores. He usually does!" She ended with a proud laugh.

They had a lot in common so found it easy to carry on a conversation. They were both teachers although Carol worked with special needs children. They were both married to doctors and both were the mother of sons. They were both sure that they were making a good friend.

Chris sat with his arms resting on the desk and Martin in a comfortable wing chair. "Ok, Mart. Tell me what you want to discuss with me." Chris bluntly started the conversation.

Martin leaned forward in his chair and, just as bluntly, answered. "I want to do surgery again."

Chris showed no reaction but, privately, he was cautious and delighted at the same time. He knew his friend well enough to know that the subject would never have come up unless Martin was sure about it. "Ok, tell me the rest of it."

Martin sounded confident, even forceful as he answered. "You know I'm going to counseling? Ok, I had a break through a few months ago – a long buried memory that involved my lovely mother and a dog. I can't describe how stressful it was to remember it. Leslie and I have talked about it and Louisa has been a tremendous support. He feels as I do – my phobia is cured but I should take things slowly. Once the memory was out and I talked about it, it no longer mattered to me. And, you can let your dog in now. I no longer think that I hate them or that they're full of diseases.

I've dealt with several blood issues including drawing blood and treating various wounds with no ill effects at all. I've even had it squirt up my nose! It's just blood." He looked eagerly at Chris, his expression confident. "I know I can't do surgery again right away; that I have to prove myself first. What do you think?"

"So you're telling me that your haemophobia is cured and you want to be a surgeon again. Correct?" Chris asked calmly.

"Yes, that's what I'm saying. I'm a surgeon. It's what I trained for, what I love doing and what I'm good at. So again, what do you think?" Martin asked again.

"What I think is, if you're really cured and can do surgery again, Imperial Hospital will celebrate your return! I'll be delighted that the best surgeon that I've ever known will be back in the operating room again." Chris smiled broadly as he replied.

Martin answered quickly. "London? No, I don't want to move back to London and uproot my family. I'm hoping that there's a place for me at the hospital in Truro. It's a very good hospital but their surgery department could use help."

Chris stood up and answered. "I think that the Truro hospital is unbelievably lucky. Before we go any further, I have to talk to the board and certainly the director of the hospital, Dr. Petronella Black, about it. Now you tell me, how can we convince them that you're ready to perform surgery again? If it were you making the decision, what would you want to hear? Give me some suggestions to take to the board. While you're thinking, I need to do something. Excuse me a moment, please."

Martin stood and walked to the window and formulated reasoned arguments as to why the hospital should give him a chance.

Chris walked back in with their dogs. They had rescued a mixed breed dog since they had last seen Martin. As usual, the dogs made a bee line for him. Instead of recoiling in disgust, he reached down and rubbed their heads. "Well hello. You're new aren't you? What's his name? Shadow, huh? And Freddie." He continued to pet them and then commanded "Sit." And they obeyed perfectly. "We've adopted the village mutt, Buddy. He has a house at the back entrance away from bad weather."

Chris watched and mentally celebrated for his friend. He had always felt that a house needed children and at least one dog to be complete. What Martin had missed because of his aversion to dogs!

Martin continued "Now, for the suggestions: I was made Chief of Surgery at the youngest age of anyone ever in all the London hospitals and supervised twelve to fifteen registrars. I performed over ten thousand surgeries without incident or failure. My papers have been published all over the world. I was consistently top of all the classes we took in med school and was the top surgeon before I was made Chief." He paused and looked at his shoes for a moment. "I'm uncomfortable saying these things. You already know all about me as does the board. The only person I don't know personally is Dr. Black. Tell them I could start by observing operations before I would actually do surgery. And, of course, support the other departments as I did when I was still in training for surgery. I'll do anything necessary to prove myself. Are all the things I said enough for you to talk to them? Chris, I'm absolutely confident about this and want to be a surgeon again. "

Chris looked at his friend and had complete faith in him. "Yes, it's enough. We have a board meeting a week from now. I'll send out an email informing the members that I want them to discuss this and I'll see if Dr. Black can attend. Good enough?"

Relieved, Martin just nodded. He wished he could express his emotions and tell Chris he was grateful that he believed in him and even more grateful that they were friends. He couldn't say what he felt so he offered his hand instead. They went back to the lounge to join their wives. Carol held James Henry while she and Louisa made plans to spend a day shopping in Truro.

Chris and Carol had always hoped that Martin would start playing the piano again. He had loved music and played beautifully. He never told them why he stopped but they felt that it had something to do with his first girl friend, Edith. Neither of them liked her. She was narcissistic and used Martin to get ahead. She would coax him into 'helping' to write her papers and made sure they were paired on any team projects and never failed to take the credit for their successes. She convinced him that they had many things in common besides medicine like music, lectures on Buddhism and the archeology of Great Britain, the study of art and cooking. As far as her claim of loving music, they were sure it was a load of tosh. The three of them spent free time playing together. Chris the cello, Carol the violin and Martin the piano. She couldn't hide her boredom from them when they played together in the flat that Martin and Chris shared but he didn't see it. He thought they were desperately in love and asked her to marry him. She laughed at him and informed him that her career was paramount with her and she couldn't waste any more time on a boy like him who mooned over her and forced her to do all the boring things that _he_ was interested in. And his pathetic efforts playing the piano were the worst! Oh, she was glad that she was of help to him with his studies but she had a chance to go to Canada for an unbelievable opportunity so he was on his own. Martin never spoke of it, just withdrew from everything except his studies. Chris and Carol waited in vain for him to confide in them. He never touched a piano again and dismissed it as a childish pursuit. Thank goodness the women in the hospital wouldn't let him ignore them! He eventually took what was offered and his reputation grew as an expert and generous lover. Chris and Carol still played and had formed a small group that met weekly and were often invited to play at local events. They had a lovely baby grand in the lounge and continued to hope that Martin would be tempted to play it someday.

James Henry saw his father and, as usual, made happy baby noises, kicked his feet and waived his arms and grinned. Martin touched two fingers to his forehead and picked him up. James wiggled in delight. The piano was behind him so Martin sat on the closest seat which was the piano bench. Carol very casually asked "Louisa, do you think you'll find a piano teacher for James? I know new parents have all sorts of plans and half never happen but I feel that music is so important for a child's full development. Some of my pupils take music lessons and I find that they gain so much confidence in themselves when they're learning to play an instrument."

Louisa answered eagerly "Yes! I never had the opportunity to learn to play any instrument and have always regretted it. I wish one of us played the piano although we would have to find a place for it somewhere in the surgery. I definitely want that for James. How about you, Martin?"

Martin looked down at his son's face before he answered. James had dozed off, held closely and securely in his father's arms. "Yes, I do. I always found music to be very soothing and loved playing." He turned around to face the piano and opened the lid. "It's been a long time since I touched a piano. I'm not sure I remember…"

Louisa stood and took James from him. Martin softly played some chords. They could just make out what he was playing. Carol whispered to Louisa that it was Martin's favorite piece: Bizet's opera - Les Pecheurs de perles. He continued to play and seemed oblivious to everything around him. Louisa made a silent vow: there would be a piano in their home even if they had to put the sofa in storage! His concentration was broken when James Henry sneezed. He started and looked around the room. "I apologize. We were talking and I interrupted you, Louisa."

Carol stood behind him and, with her hands on his shoulders, kissed his cheek. "Don't apologize, Martin. That was lovely. I'll get my violin, Chris can get his cello and we'll play together, please?"

He touched the hand on his right shoulder to silently acknowledgment her request and stood up. "Not tonight. Louisa, don't you think it's time for us to go home? James needs to go to bed."


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

During the drive home, they talked about how pleasant the evening had been and how much Louisa liked Carol. She asked "Martin, will you tell me how your talk went with Chris?"

"He was very receptive and will talk to the board about it next week at their meeting. He's hoping the Hospital Director, Dr. Petronella Black, will attend. He asked me to think of reasons for them to consider my request. No, the best word is application. I made some suggestions like I'll observe surgeries from the gallery until the head of surgery is confident with my abilities and I'll support any department as I did at Imperial. I said I'd do anything necessary to prove myself. He believed me and has confidence in me. That's it. Now we wait." He answered and she could hear the suppressed excitement in his voice.

She sighed and agreed. "Now we wait. You know I'm not very good at that. It's probably a good thing – when I'm upset or anxious, I tend to clean out cabinets or organize closets. Are you sure that's all. You look so very tired."

"I am tired. It's been a long week. I want to get James Henry settled and go to bed. Maybe he'll let us sleep in tomorrow." He yawned and she laughed and said "No, no! Don't do that! It's catching you know."

He yawned hugely again and said "Sorry. Home and bed sounds like the perfect plan."

The cabinets and closets in the surgery were always immaculate thanks to Martin. Nothing for her to do there but her cottage could use a good going over and Bert always needed help in the restaurant. She wouldn't have any problem keeping busy. James Henry enjoyed seeing his grand-dad and uncle so no problems with his care. As for as how the nights went, Martin was insatiable and she loved it. That was at least one way she could help him cope with the waiting. And another benefit – she enjoyed it just as much as he did. The waiting wasn't as long as he thought it would. Two days after the board meeting, he was asked to come in for a 'meeting' with the members and Dr. Black. Every one cleared their calendars for the next Wednesday afternoon; first lunch and then the meeting. Leslie was given permission to share his opinion with them about Martin's progress. Martin and Louisa invited Aunt Ruth for dinner and told her about it. She typically showed even less emotion than Martin but they knew her well enough to know that her "Well, well nephew. Congratulations for the possibility anyway. I'm sure you'll keep me informed." meant that she was hopeful and excited, too.

During this time things happened for Louisa, too. The head of the school board called her to discuss her resignation. Could she meet him in the next few days at his office or for lunch? Whichever was most convenient for her. They agreed that next Wednesday afternoon would work and settled on meeting at his office at two o'clock. She and Martin both had appointments on the same day and that meant they needed their first baby minder. But who? Bert, Al, Aunt Ruth and Morwenna made the 'Martin approved list.' Louisa called Aunt Ruth first. They didn't want to assume that, since she didn't work, she would automatically be free and she wasn't because she had a meeting with a publisher that day. Bert and Al couldn't because they had a big party reserved for that afternoon and needed all hands on deck. That left Morwenna. Martin approached her with the assurance that, if she ever looked after James Henry for them, she would be paid her regular salary in addition to an hourly rate for child minding. She eagerly agreed. She was familiar with James' routine and he knew her and was comfortable around her.

Saturday, Louisa prepared grilled salmon, rice and beans and a green salad for lunch. She expected Martin to be preoccupied while he waited for Wednesday afternoon but he surprised her. Evidently when he told her that he would be happy to remain as the village gp if his desire to be a surgeon again didn't work out, he meant it. His scowl was still there but not as fierce as it was. He was still rude and, sometimes, obnoxious, still strode through the village ignoring courtesies from the villagers and still drove Mrs. Tishell to distraction with unrequited desire. But, after the surgery was closed and he was alone with his wife and son, what Louisa considered to be the real Martin appeared. As Louisa had realized long ago, he would never be a conversationalist but he was so tender and patient with James Henry and so attentive and caring of her.

"Martin, I want to discuss something important about James Henry." She said as he nursed for the eighth time that day. "Why can't he start eating small amounts of rice cereal made with my milk? He's so hungry! It seems that all I do is feed him and can't get anything else done. And you know he's waking at night again every two or three hours to nurse. Carol said she fed her boys cereal when they were four weeks old. Polly has four children and they all started eating cereal when they were the same age. Do you know why the rules changed?"

He looked up from the lancet he was reading and considered his answer. "The current thinking is don't start solid foods until the baby is four to six months old. To eat, babies need good head and neck control and should be able to sit up in a high chair, which usually doesn't happen until they're 4 to 6 months old. Also, if you try to feed him solids before this age, you may notice that he pushes food out of his mouth just as quickly as you put it in. Babies start to lose this natural tongue-thrusting reflex at the four to six mark, which makes it easier for them to start eating solid foods. Another study says that feeding babies solid food too early could lead to obesity in adulthood. I've read that the baby will show you when he's ready by being interested in and watching other people eat and a greater urgency to nurse due to hunger. But, there's another study..."

At this point, Louisa snorted and mumbled that there was _always_ another study.

Martin gave a wry look of agreement and continued. "If he's content with breast milk, no need to complicate his life with solid food. But if, as you say, he doesn't seem satisfied with your milk, then it may be time to try it. Do you feel that he's ready?"

"Yes, I do. He's so frantic when he nurses and seems to be full before he's satisfied. And, you know how fast he's growing! I'd like to try just a baby spoon or two just to see how he likes it. And, I certainly want you to be there. And maybe Polly, too." She tilted her head to silently ask if he agreed.

He nodded and said "He _is_ growing fast. When do you plan on doing this?"

"Well, if Polly can be here, why not tomorrow? I don't want to rush this but I really feel that he'll benefit from it." James Henry finished nursing and needed winding. "Will you wind him while I call Polly or do you want to continue reading your lancet?"

Now it was his turn for a wry look. "I think I can finish reading the article another time. Now James Henry, let's see what we can do to make you more comfortable."

His father patted his back and James Henry rewarded him by letting out a large, moist burp right in his ear. "James Henry! We really have to work on your manners! At various times you've peed, spit up, and defecated on me. I thought those were the extent of the indignities you could inflict on me but I was wrong. Now you're burping in my ear!" Martin moved James Henry to a sitting position on his legs so they could look at each other. He smiled and babbled, passed gas and, by the sound of it, did a big squishy poop. "If that's half as bad as it sounds, I hope your nappy is leak proof!"

He headed for the stairs and pointed to the offending nappy to let Louisa know where he was going. He got down on his knees next to the tub and laid James Henry on a big towel, took off his suit jacket, carefully removed the nappy and cleaned a very messy bottom. James Henry kicked his legs and grinned, clearly enjoying his brief freedom from a nappy while his Daddy got his bath ready. Martin leaned over to pick him up and dodged a stream of urine just in time to avoid being sprayed in the face but it still splattered his shirt and tie. James kicked and grinned as if he knew what happened and was laughing at his Daddy. Daddy humphed and proceeded to lecture his son again on the respect he should show his elders.

Martin didn't do 'baby talk' or ridiculous jabber' to James during bath time but that didn't mean he was silent. He told him the name of two or three different body parts each time as he washed them and explained their function. The baby grinned and chortled back. It was safe to say that both of them enjoyed bath time.

He carried a clean and sweet smelling James Henry back downstairs. Louisa giggled when she saw Martin had removed his shirt and tie. She knew what that meant!

"Yes, you're right. He has very good aim and seems inordinately proud of himself. I almost got sprayed in the face! Here young man, play on your mat until bed time. Tell me what Polly said." Martin said as he sat on the couch next to her.

"She can be here at 6:30. I'll get the rice cereal and baby spoons tomorrow morning."

"All right. By the way, I forgot to tell you that I talked to Aunt Ruth yesterday and invited her for lunch tomorrow. I bought extra fish and vegetables. She's busily working on her book and still refuses to have anything to do with a garden and that farm hand she hired gathers the eggs. She swears she's allergic to chickens! She still hasn't done anything about that ancient boiler or any other repairs. Has she given you any idea as to whether or not she's comfortable living there?"

Louisa looked hesitant as she answered "Not exactly. Sometimes I get the feeling that she thinks she owes it to Joan to give it a good try. What do you think?"

He nodded "I feel the same way. I hope she stays there. I'd hate to see her sell it to some developer, or worse, a farmer who uses the chemicals on his crops that Auntie Joan hated so much. But, it's none of our business and the main thing is for her to be happy where ever she is."

James Henry started fretting so Louisa picked him up laid him against her shoulder. That was definitely not what he wanted and the fretting turned quickly into hungry wails. She hurriedly undid her blouse and placed him at her breast. He latched on like he was starving making her jump with surprise. "Crikey! I'm glad he doesn't have teeth yet. This is what I mean – he ate less than two hours ago."

Martin furrowed his brow and nodded in agreement – that was a _very_ hungry baby.

The next morning they both went to the grocers and bought the cereal, spoons and ingredients for an apple crisp to serve after lunch. James Henry was wailing with hunger again by the time they made it home. He had nursed six times during the night and both parents were pretty well knackered from lack of sleep. Louisa hurriedly fed him. "I'll take him upstairs and wind him. When he's settled in for a nap I'll come down and make the crisp."

"That will put us behind so why don't I take him up and you make the crisp now? When I come down, we can start the preparations for lunch." He suggested and she readily agreed.

Just before lunch time Aunt Ruth entered the kitchen with a dry "Hello family. Hello James Henry, smile for Auntie Ruth?"

He knew his aunt and welcomed her with his wide toothless grin. She actually smiled back surprising Martin. He couldn't remember the last time he saw her smile!

"Whatever you're cooking smells very healthy. Come here, great nephew and let your aunt look at you. My, he's growing so fast! Since I know very little about babies, I won't ask how often you have to feed him but I wager it's frequent." Ruth sat him on her lap so they could see each other and he continued to grin at her.

"Yes, he's growing fast and Louisa feels her milk isn't enough for him anymore. We're going to try giving him a little rice cereal this evening to see how he does with it." Martin answered her as he dished up the fish and vegetables and Louisa sliced the bread. "What do you want to drink? We have coffee, tea, water and white wine."

"Oh, some wine sounds good with fish. What do you do with James Henry while you're eating? Is he the centerpiece?" Ruth stood and looked around for the answer to her question.

"Here, put him in his seat and, yes, he's usually the centerpiece. And a very handsome one, too, aren't you little man? Ooh, yes he is. Mama's handsome little man." Cooed Louisa and Martin tried to not roll his eyes at her 'jabber'.

"This is delicious and much healthier than the dishes I usually fix for myself. May I have more carrots, please? Thank you Martin." Ruth was clearly enjoying her meal and had two glasses of wine. Martin frowned a little at that but was wise enough to not mention it. Ruth and he shared the Ellingham ability of shutting people up who annoyed them.

After their coffee and apple crisp, Martin and Louisa insisted that Ruth sit and talk to them while they cleared the dishes. After she yawned the third time Martin felt compelled to comment on it. "Are you getting enough sleep Ruth? You seem a bit tired today."

"That's because I _am_ tired. Those blasted chickens insist on waking me up at the crack of dawn every morning. Honestly, if I knew how and didn't mind the feathers, I'd wring all their necks and put them in a stew! Of course, they never bothered Joan because she probably woke _them_ up." Ruth grumbled and yawned again.

Martin and Louisa looked at her with concern and he asked "Are you happy living there Ruth? Are you meeting the deadlines for your book?"

"Well, it's not London and I do miss my colleagues but I'm giving it a serious try. And yes, I'm meeting my deadlines. Joan so wanted me to either move in with her or somewhere in the vicinity. And the views are truly lovely." She answered in her usual matter of fact manner. "Now, tell me about this cereal business."

James Henry started fretting as a warning, and when his mother didn't pick him up immediately to attend to his hunger pangs, he wailed loudly making his aunt jump in surprise. "My goodness. How often does that happen?"

Moving quickly to attend to his needs, Louisa answered "About every two hours which is why we're going to try cereal tonight. I'll go to the lounge to nurse him while you and Martin visit with each other."

"Wait dear. I'm sure you're clever and modest enough to manage to feed him in front of me. Please stay with us." Ruth requested.

"Alright, let me get one of his blankets." Louisa said and went to the laundry room to get one. Martin held it while she turned her back and opened her blouse, then placed the baby at her breast. Then he lightly put the blanket over the nursing baby and she sat back down at the table.

Surprised, Ruth said "I can actually hear him suckle! He acts like you haven't fed him all day. Now I see why you want to try adding cereal to his diet."

After he finished nursing, Martin took him to wind and said he would take him upstairs for his nap.

"Well then, I'll say good bye. Lovely meal. Can't thank you enough. Bye family." And yawning one more time, Ruth left to go home.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

"Well, that was pretty clear. She's not very happy living at the farm." Martin commented with a sigh. "You look tired, too, so I'll put James Henry down for his nap and you go rest for a while."

"What are you going to do? Don't you want to rest with me? You're probably just as tired as I am." Louisa said through a yawn. "Now Ruth's got me doing it!"

"No, I'm not particularly tired. I want to work on Mr. Thackery's clock for a while. Come on, let's go upstairs." They went upstairs and Louisa gratefully headed for the bed. James Henry got a clean nappy, rocked in Martin's arms for a few minutes and then tucked into his crib without a fuss. Martin stood watching his son sleep still slightly incredulous that a miserable buggar like himself could have such a wonderful and beautiful family.

Louisa was up, the baby fed, the parents ate a light supper and now they were waiting for Polly to arrive. Louisa was chewing her lower lip, a sure sign that she was apprehensive.

"You know, we don't have to do this if you're unsure about it." Martin said as he loaded the last of the dishes into the dishwasher.

Louisa rearranged the small bowl and spoon for the fifth time, reread the directions on the cereal box and said "Who said I was nervous? I'm just making sure…" With a sigh "Yes, I'm nervous. Thank goodness you're here with me. What if this is the wrong decision? What if I do something to hurt him?" By this time, she was up pacing the floor and chewing unmercifully on her poor lip.

"Then don't do it. But, if you want my opinion" and she nodded vigorously "we should try him on just a little. I'm betting that just about every mother in this village has done the same thing. I hear Buddy barking. It's probably Polly." And he left to let her in.

Louisa could hear Polly greeting him "Hello, Doc. Good to see you. How's the littl'un?"

"Yes." And he led her into the kitchen.

"Louiser! Good to see you. Oh, you're looking good! Well, hello littl' James. My you look like your Pa. Can I pick him up for a bit?" Polly's chatter was the type that set Martin's nerves on edge and he scowled heavily. Louisa noticed and, as she answered their visitor, she frowned at him and shook her head slightly. She almost giggled as she witnessed the struggle he had trying to rearrange his face. There was a very slight improvement.

"Oh my! He's growin' fast. How long since he fed?" Polly sat at the table holding the baby as she spoke.

"Almost two hours ago so he should be ready any minute now. I'm very nervous about this. It's the first time I've used the breast pump, too. Ok, that's the first warning. Shouldn't I go ahead before he really starts crying?" Louisa asked nervously. "You both agree then? Ok, just a little cereal and enough milk to make a thin gruel. Gruel! What a disgusting word! Polly, does this look right? Martin? Let me have him then. Come here baby, see what Mommy's got for you." She held him like she did when he nursed except slightly elevated. Polly nodded her head in approval.

"Now put just a smidgen on his lips and see what he does with it. That's right. You might rub the spoon across his lips. There he goes! Now a little more. Good. Now, put a little in his mouth. He's gotta get used to somethin' new. Some of it always comes back out so just run the spoon around his lips and put it back in. Ok, now wait a little bit." Polly instructed as she stood over Louisa's shoulder watching carefully. "Look at him try to nurse the spoon! He likes it but just a couple more bites this first time. That's it. Oh, he's a natural eater for sure! Good job, Louiser. Now Doc, how did he do?"

Martin just realized that he had been holding his breath and choked a little before he answered her. "Very well I think. Louisa, he's still hungry. Let me get that blanket so you can nurse him without leaving the room." He was glad of something to do with his hands. He really didn't expect to be this nervous.

"Lordy, Louiser! You don't have to mind me. I nursed my first three so you ain't got nothin' I've not seen." Polly exclaimed laughingly.

"No, I know. I'm just not used to it yet. That's all. So, you think he did alright? When can I give him some more? Next feeding? Ok, should I increase the amount any?" Louisa was relieved and thankful that everything had gone so well. "Oh, thank you Polly! You've been a tremendous help. Would you like a cuppa or some coffee?"

"No luv. I gotta get home and feed my bunch. They're likely eatin' the house by now! Look, you call me if you think I can help with anything, ok? It's a pleasure to see you with your own baby Louiser. A real pleasure. And you're a good Mom, too! Well, thanks Doc. You're a gent to open the door for me."

"Yes." Doc answered and shut the door cutting off anything else she might have wanted to say.

"Martin, how do you think he did?" Louisa needed his approval as a doctor and Father before she was ready to try it again.

"I think it was satisfactory. When he's finished nursing, I'll wind him and take him upstairs for a bath unless you want to do it this time." He offered and she could see how reluctant he was to make the offer. One of his greatest pleasures was caring for his son. He looked relieved when she said there a were things she should get done. And she did; washing and drying their clothes, ironing a few items that wrinkled too badly and laying out things for next morning's breakfast.

At James Henry's last feeding before they went to bed, Louisa fed him a few bites of the cereal before she nursed him. He woke four hours later and she did the same thing. After that, he slept through the rest of the night, waking at his normal time of six o'clock. Martin changed his nappy and carried him downstairs. Louisa has started cooking porridge and had sliced bananas for their breakfast. She took James Henry and fed him a little more cereal than she had last night and he gobbled it up. He nursed but wasn't frantic and didn't tear at her nipple like he had been doing.

"Martin, I think this is going to work. Am I wrong to be relieved that he doesn't act like he's starving and he seems to be more content? If it was going to hurt him, wouldn't we know it by now?"

Martin was observing his son and replied "Yes, I think it's satisfactory and, no, you're not wrong. He does appear to be calmer. Which of us will wind him and which will finish breakfast? Alright, do you want your fruit in your cereal or separate? I'll start the coffee and make the toast. I should step it up a bit or I won't have time to dress him."

Everything was ready and they quickly finished eating. Martin went upstairs for his shower and Louisa cleaned the kitchen. She carried James Henry upstairs and laid him in his crib where his Father hurriedly dressed him. "Now James, you should know that these clothes that you're wearing are made of cotton. Cotton is a plant that is grown primarily in warm climates and it's what is called 'renewable'. It's soft and absorbent and makes perfect baby clothes. Later, I'll explain how it's picked and turned into fabric. Now, let's go get in your play pen until naptime. Uncle Al gave you something to entertain you while you're there. It's called a Sensory Gym and you should try it out. Is that satisfactory with you?"

James Henry thought all this was a wonderful and funny way to get dressed and showed his appreciation by grinning non-stop and chortling to his Daddy. Martin would love to have some idea of what his son was thinking. What could be so funny anyway?

Martin examined the new toy and realized that it included a mat so he placed it in the play pen and laid his son on it and under the curved bar that had different objects hanging from it. He remained bent over and introduced James to his new toy. "Look James, here's a red and blue cube. It has six sides. Make it move and it makes a tweeting sound. This one's an orange ball, here's a green ring and a totally unrealistic cat. Now watch it move." He touched the top bar and all the objects swung back and forth.

Louisa came in at that moment and burst into laughter at the look on the baby's face. His eyes were big and his mouth was stretched down with excitement and he was chortling and making hilarious sounds. His arms and legs moved continuously. "This toy is definitely entertaining. I'm going to open the surgery and will see you both for lunch. Good bye, James Henry."

He walked to Louisa and they embraced. After a delicious kiss, he nodded his head and left the room. She smiled dreamily and started straightening up the lounge and figuring out a place to put a piano. She knew it was pointless to think about it until Martin knew whether or not he would work in Truro. He didn't seem at all nervous or apprehensive but she certainly was.

She planned on having vegetable soup and toasted cheese sandwiches for lunch so she put James in his stroller and left to do some errands. First, the restaurant to thank Al for the toy. Then the vegetable market, the chemist, the baker for fresh bread, the grocery story for milk and then home. James was ready to eat and nap in that order. He had been admired and talked about all morning, had smiled and cooed to everyone – even Mrs. Tishell - but enough was enough!

Martin was going to close the surgery for lunch but the life of a gp is unpredictable. There was an emergency on the platt where a young woman tried to see how long she could stay in the very cold water. She stayed long enough to develop hyperthermia and got treatment and a thorough telling off by the Doc. He was on his way home when Betty Buckner, the care giver for Miss Sawls called. She had gone to visit a friend for what was supposed to be a couple of hours and left everything she thought Miss Sawls could possibly need within reach. She also made sure that her patient visited the loo. Unfortunately the bus she was riding in broke down and the passengers had to wait for nearly two hours for another one to show up. Miss Sawls waited as long as she could but then had to visit the loo again. It was just a few steps away so she didn't use her walker. On the way back to her chair, her legs gave out and she fell, striking her head on the corner of the side table. Mrs. Buckner found her on the floor, conscious but bleeding from the wound on her head. She helped back into her chair and called the Doc.

Martin treated her wound and checked her vitals before questioning her. "Miss Sawls, what happened?"

"I'm so sorry Doctor Ellingham for being so weak. I needed to visit the loo and was sure that I wouldn't need my walker. It's only a few steps away you see. But my wretched legs…oh! I'm so tired of being like this!" She said angrily with tears running down her cheeks. "Betty can't leave me for even an afternoon! If I could find a way to get stronger."

"Miss Sawls, unfortunately it's a fact of life for you that you _are_ weak. We've talked before about me arranging for a physical therapist to come here to work on strengthening your muscles. In the past, you very foolishly haven't even been willing to discuss it. Does what just happened convince to listen to me now?" Martin asked with a tinge of impatience in his voice. Thank goodness Miss Sawls knew how good he was to her but Mrs. Buckner thought he was being too harsh.

"Really Doctor, do you have to speak to her like that? She certainly didn't fall on purpose!" She said indignantly.

Martin looked like he was ready to show just how harsh he could be when Miss Sawls spoke up. "No, Betty. He's not being harsh. I know the doctor and he is always so good to me. Please don't criticize him. And yes, I would like to try a therapist for a while. It's so good of you to suggest it. I'm sure you've missed your lunch so can we offer you some tea and a sandwich before you go?"

Still glaring at Mrs. Buckner, Martin ignored her and said to Miss Sawls "Now, I want you to go to bed and stay there until tomorrow morning. You don't have a concussion but you might have a headache. Do you want me to leave something for you to take just in case? No? Well, call me if you have any concerns or unusual pains and I'll be back in the morning to check on you."

He was getting into his car when Aunt Ruth called. "Martin? So sorry to bother you but can you come see me for, what I hope is, a quick house call?"

He knew that Ruth wouldn't call unless she really needed him so he drove quickly to the farm and ran to the house. "What's wrong? Where are you hurt?" And he visually assessed her condition. No obvious problems so his look of concern turned to one of confusion. "Why did you call me? You appear to be fine."


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38

"I am. You ran to the wrong building. Let's go to the barn. Ted has some sort of ugly rash on his leg. Yes, yes I know you don't make house calls unless it's an emergency but if this is what I think it is, it's very contagious and he doesn't need to be around other people for a while. So take that look off your face and come with me." The Ellinghams could be very intimating and commanding.

"Ted, this is Doctor Ellingham. He's going to look at your rash. Martin, I should tell you that Ted rescued a dog last week that was in very poor health. The dog is at the vet's now, being treated for a variety of things." Ruth explained as Ted held out his hand in greeting and was ignored by Martin.

"Where's the rash located? Alright, roll up your left sleeve, please. Did you handle the dog very much?" Martin asked as he closely examined the ugly rash.

"Well, yes. He's a sweet dog and I'm a big lover of animals, especially dogs." Ted answered while resisting the urge to scratch the rash. "It really itches, Doc."

"I'm sure it does. It looks like Scabies to me. Ruth, is that what you thought?" Martin put on a pair of gloves as he asked the question and touched the affected area.

"Yes, and it's very contagious to other people. Will he need to go to the hospital, perhaps in isolation?" Ruth s asked as she also examined the lesions.

"No, I don't think so. I can give him a shot of antibiotics, some antibiotic cream and lotion to help control the itching. Ted, you need to stay at home away from people and other dogs for at least two weeks. And wash the affected area several times a day and apply fresh cream. I'll monitor your condition every couple of days. Ruth, can you make sure he had food and whatever else he needs? And, I want to talk to the vet about the dog. Which one is it and who's listed as the dog's owner?"

"Yes, I will see to it that he has food and anything else he needs. The dog is with Doctor Priscilla Presley and I'm listed as the owner. Why do you need to talk to her about my dog?" Ruth wanted to know.

"I know her. She's Buddy's vet. I want to know the condition of the dog and if there's anything else the matter with it that we need to know about. Just taking precautions. Buddy sees the vet every two months. I can't take a diseased dog with me on house calls and they assure me that he's perfectly healthy." Buddy, hearing his name, came to Martin's side and sat looking quizzically at him. "Ruth, can you pick up his prescriptions or shall I bring them to you?"

"Yes, I'll take care of it. By the way, the dog's name is Staggered because of the way he walks. It's just temporary you know. I'm sure we'll give him a proper Cornish name later."

Martin delayed opening the surgery long enough to eat lunch and have a cup of much needed espresso. James was asleep so he tiptoed upstairs to check on him. As was his habit, he laid two fingers on the baby's forehead. All was well there. On the other hand, the surgery was full. As I said, the life of a gp is unpredictable.

Martin had arranged to close the surgery Wednesday. Patients would have to go to Wadebridge if they needed to see a doctor. Wednesday morning arrived at last. He spent the morning with James Henry – changing, bathing, and dressing him. He explained what his plans were for the rest of the day and, just in case, what surgery was. James Henry was entranced by his father's voice and listened intently to it. He had a look of concentration on his face as if he knew what Martin was saying to him and he really seemed to talk back to his father. Then it was time for Martin to prepare for his meeting – shower, shave and dress in his best suit, crisp white shirt and tie and perfectly polished shoes.

Louisa did the same things – shower and dress in her best business suit. She had no idea what to expect from her meeting but was tingling with anticipation anyway.

Morwenna came to babysit and assure them that all would be ok.

Martin and Louisa stood facing each other at the back door of the surgery. They embraced and she whispered "My love, I know this meeting will go your way. I won't wish you good luck because you don't need luck. I'll just say I love you and see you this evening."

Martin placed his forehead against hers and whispered back "Thank you Louisa. I'm very curious about your meeting. See you this evening." He kissed her lightly and he left in his car and she walked to her meeting.

George Straight, the head of the school board, was waiting for Louisa to arrive and welcomed her warmly to his office. They exchanged pleasantries before he said "I'm sure you're curious about why I wanted to meet with you. Right?"

"Yes, I am. Can you tell me what this is about?" She asked with a smile.

"Well, the upshot is that we don't to lose you. No, no I understand that your resignation as Head Teacher is final. I believe that you're acquainted with the new Head Teacher? Yes, we're glad that she wanted to return to the village and has gotten off to an excellent start. Now, I'm thinking about a couple of things. You know this village and its needs as well as anyone living here. There are a few things I'd like for you to consider taking on that would benefit our fellow citizens that shouldn't interfere too much with your home life. First, the board would like for you to be an ad hoc member. Your input on the needs of the school and its pupils would be invaluable.

Second, I feel that the leisure center is under-utilized. There are rooms that go unused way too often. The cost of operating the center would be easier to justify if it was used by the villagers more. I know there are groups and clubs that are looking for places to meet but never think of the center. To most it's just a sporting complex. If you're willing to help develop its potential, I'll speak to the governing board about it.

Third, you're an excellent teacher, one of the best we've ever had. Would you be available for some in-school tutoring? Some of our students need a little extra help and the regular teachers just don't have the time to help them.

Do any of these ideas appeal to you?"

Louisa laughed and replied "Thank you and yes, they do. I've been talking to my husband about tutoring but didn't think doing it in-school would be allowed. So yes, I'd like to talk more about it. We also discussed starting an adult literacy program. I don't think that the people needing it could come in the day time during what are probably their work hours. And some may be embarrassed to admit that they need it. I'd like to hear your opinion about that.

Yes, I'm willing to be an ad hoc member of the board. I'd like to be as much use to the school as possible. As to the leisure center, I agree that it's under-utilized but I think the governing board and Lambert should be the ones to do something about it. I'm afraid that I'd be stepping on toes if I started to change anything there. They pay him to run it and he should be the one to improve it. I'll share with _you_ some ideas I have to utilize it more. First, find a way to start a swim team again to compete with others in the district. That's something that would definitely help solve the obesity problem we have with so many of the children. Second, an exercise program specifically tailored for elderly people, even ones in wheelchairs. Dr Ellingham would help with that. So many of his patients need exercise and would enjoy being with other people for a while. If funding could be found somewhere, a van to transport the ones who don't drive. Hopefully, enough people would volunteer to be the drivers." She looked at him quizzically as she waited for his response.

He smiled as he answered "I can see you still have the best interests of our village at heart. I'll take all your ideas under advisement but you must be aware of how tight funds are. Ok, the next board meeting will be at the end of September. I'll inform you of a definite date and time. They're still held in the school assembly hall and we'll vote on making you an ad hoc member then.

We both should meet with Mrs. Blythe to discuss the tutoring. I spoke to her briefly and she is very excited about it. Who do you think is the best person to approach about the adult literacy program?"

"Oh, definitely Mrs. Douthat. It makes sense – she's the head librarian and would be a great help in setting up the classes and times. She already has the teaching material and is familiar with it. Will you let me know what her response is?" Louisa asked eagerly

"If you agree to accompany me when I meet with her you'll know what her response is." He suggested.

"No, I'll just deal with the tutoring for now and see how it goes. There are three recently retired teachers that live here. I'll call them and ask if they would be willing to help. Have we covered everything? I really must get back to James Henry." Her hands were gripped together in her lap from excitement. If only some of her ideas could be enacted!

He stood as he answered "Yes, that's enough for now. I'll set up a time that works for all three of us at the school to discuss the tutoring. Your ideas for the center are all excellent. I promise I'll do my best to enact at least some of them. And finally, I'll let you know what Mrs. Douthat says. I'll say good bye now. I have another meeting and you've got a baby to see too. He's a splendid chap by the way."

"Yes, he is and we see him change every day. He's such a joy for both of us. I'll wait to hear from you. Good bye for now." They shook hands and she left with a spring in her step. She felt as if she'd been away from James Henry for hours and couldn't wait to see him.

She could hear him crying before she went in through the back door. "Oh, my beautiful boy! Here, come to Mommy. Oh, sweetie! What's wrong?"

She held him so they could see each other. He snuffled a little and then gave just a hint of a smile. He was hungry, miserable and very glad to see his Mommy.

Morwenna was almost in tears herself. "I'm sorry Louiser. I just couldn't satisfy him no matter what I did. And he won't take the bottle at all so he must be hungry. I thought I would do better with him."

"No, Morwenna. I should have anticipated this. He's never been away from us before and I should have gotten him used to a bottle before I left him with you. I'm sure you did fine. Where's the bottle and I'll mix up some cereal for him. Do you mind making us a cuppa?" Louisa busily mixed up the cereal and sat down to feed her hungry son.

Morwenna calmed down and put the kettle on. "Do you mind telling me how your meeting went? What did Mr. Morrisey want with you?"

"What I tell you is confidential for now. The odd thing is that Martin and I've talked about me tutoring but thought it wouldn't work out. We talked about an adult literacy program, too. Mr. Morrisey had thought of those ideas and then some more. Like utilizing the leisure center for more things. I told him some of my ideas and he promised to do his best to enact them. It was a _very_ good meeting! I hope Martin's has gone as well as I mine! I'm going upstairs to nurse him and put him down for his nap. Thank you so much Morwenna and don't worry about his crying. It'll get better. Martin will settle up with you about you pay. Good bye and enjoy your afternoon off."

"Do you have time to hear one of my ideas about the leisure center?" Morwenna asked as she got ready to leave.

"Of course. But please, just briefly for right now." Louisa patted James Henry's back trying to sooth him for a little while longer.

"Try to set use the center as an extension of the Truro Penwith College. It sure would be easier to attend classes there than traveling all that way by bus and then back again. That's all for now. Bye James. Next time I'll do better. Bye Louiser." And Morwenna left ready to enjoy the rest of her day off.

After James Henry was fed, winded and changed, he easily went to sleep. She got a notepad and started making notes about the meeting. Morwenna's idea was inspired! A way for people to further their education right here in PortWenn. Oh, this was exciting!


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39

Most of the attendees at Martin's meeting knew him so the greetings were business like and brief. It was held in a conference room at the Royal Cornwall Hospital. It was like the rest of the hospital; modern, clean and a good example of space utilization. It looked like a hospital, not a resort or extravagant corporate office. Money was spent on the needs of the patients, not to impress. He was introduced to Dr. Petronella Black and was pleased to see her professional in manner and dress. She was polite but non-committal.

Chris started the meeting with "Welcome everyone and a special welcome to our applicant, Dr. Martin Ellingham. Most of us have known Martin for years and know of his reputation for excellence in the field of vascular surgery. We also know why he left that particular field of medicine and became the gp for PortWenn. I daresay that very few places in Great Britain can boast of having someone of Martin's stature act as their gp. I can personally attest to more than a few cases where his knowledge and dedication have saved the lives of some of his patients.

Does anyone want to add anything or ask a question? No one? Alright, in your folder you have a copy of Martin's letter stating his desire to become a surgeon again. And, why he chose Truro instead of London. And I must say that, in my opinion, his choosing Truro is a very fortunate thing for this hospital. You also have a copy of Dr. Leslie Timberland's analysis of Martin's mental state and his opinion of the progress that Martin has made in conquering his haemophobia. I think I speak for all of us when I say how delighted we are to hear this news Martin. Congratulations!" At this point, the rest of the attendees nodded and applauded along with Chris. "Now, Dr. Black, don't you have some questions for Martin?"

"Thank you Dr. Parsons and yes I do. First of all Dr. Ellingham, I want to welcome you to our hospital. I can honestly say that I never thought to have a chance to hire someone of your talent at this hospital. But, I do have concerns that you've been away from surgery for over four years. Knowledge and procedures have progressed in your absence. Do you really think you can just pick it up again? To be honest, I have my doubts. What do you say to that?" As Martin first thought, competent administrator, professional all the way, will need convincing.

"Yes, I do think I can pick it up again. I did over 10,000 surgeries at Imperial. Doing something that you're really good at and enjoy doing that many times leaves an imprint on you. Plus, I've kept abreast of new procedures by the regular reading of several medical journals, watching videos of different operations and reading the monthly bmj. I've performed surgeries in PortWenn in my capacity as gp. I'm aware that I wouldn't be in the operating room here until I'm deemed ready by you and the rest of the surgeons if I'm fortunate enough to be granted the opportunity to work here. I supported all the departments at Imperial when I was a registrar and training to be a surgeon and could do the same here. There are, of course, other things I could do if asked by you or the board." Martin sat calmly and waited for a response.

Dr. Black continued to stare at him, deep in thought. Chris gave the rest of the board an opportunity to ask questions but instead, they reminisced about the things that Martin had done and that they had done with him. Instead of an interview, the meeting became a group of friends having a visit to reminisce.

"Martin, before you leave, I'd like your advice on a case…"

"Dr. Ellingham, you operation on my wife saved her life…"

"Dr. Ellingham, how would you diagnose a young woman who…?"

"Martin, a young single mother came in with…Do you think you could take a look at her with me?"

"Do you remember when you saved that boy's feet who had been in that motorcycle wreck? Well, there's a case here just like that. Could you advise Dr. Phillips as to your method before you go. He's a good surgeon but has never done anything as demanding as this before."

And on it went. Chris sat and listened, so proud of and for his friend. Martin's expertise and knowledge should be evident to even the most mediocre doctor in England. He eyed Dr. Black frequently but couldn't read her expression.

"Dr. Black, if you're finished with this interview for the present, if I'm going to advise Dr. Phillips, I need to do it now." The last thing Martin wanted to do was rush her but time was of the essence for Dr. Phillip's surgery.

"Yes, Dr. Ellingham. We're finished for now. I'll be in touch. Thanks so much for coming in." She graciously lowered her head to signal him to leave. He was escorted to where Dr. Phillips was changing into surgical scrubs. They had just a few minutes for Martin to talk to him but he made the most of his time.

"Dr. Ellingham I'm grateful for your guidance. I've never performed this procedure before so this is very good. Are you willing to watch from the gallery?" Dr. Phillips asked as they walked to the sink where he would scrub up. Martin agreed and left to go upstairs to the gallery.

Chris and Dr. Black were the only ones in the room. He waited for her to speak and, when she did not, he asked her "Well, what do you think? Would you be willing to give him a chance? Before you answer that, let me tell you that I was I med school with him and he had a reputation for brilliance even then. I know what happened with the haemophobia and truly believe that it's cured. If I sound like I'm pressuring you, please believe me when I say I'm not. Martin would be furious if he thought that I or anyone else would do so. Your word is the final one but I do want to act as a reference as I'm sure the rest of the board will, too. Now, unless you need me for something, I'll say good bye. I have another meeting to go to." He held out his hand and they shook. She still didn't speak which worried him more than just a little. She stood for a moment deep in thought, then made her way to the surgery hoping to find Martin there. Instead, she was pointed to the gallery. She watched him unobserved and saw a doctor, deeply engrossed in the procedure he was observing, occasionally nodding his head in approval and showing not the least discomfort at seeing the inevitable blood. She walked quietly to stand by his side and asked "Is all going well? In my opinion, Dr. Phillips is an excellent surgeon."

Without taking his eyes off the scene below them, he answered "Yes, extremely well. He's doing it perfectly."

They stood without speaking until Dr. Phillips finished. He looked up at the gallery and gave a thumbs up to Martin and nodded to Dr. Black. Martin made his excuses and went to find Dr. Phillips to congratulate him on a flawless performance.

"If I indeed _was_ flawless, then you must take some of the credit. I thought I had read everything you've written but I must've missed the paper dealing with that particular method. Can't thank you enough. Now, I've two more surgeries today so I'll say goodbye and hope very much that you come on board with us." Dr. Phillips said gratefully. They shook hands and Martin left to go home. They were unaware that Dr. Black was in the adjoining room listening to their conversation. She went to her office and gave her secretary instructions that she was not to be disturbed. She spent the rest of the day researching everything she could find about Martin. The more she found, the more impressed she became. When she read the report on him locking a surgeon in a closet and performing the surgery on his own wife and the letter from that same surgeon absolving him, she smiled. She like bravery and confidence in her staff and Martin certainly had an abundance of both. Her decision was made. She would speak with Dr. Parsons and the board before contacting Martin. They had to determine what his duties would be until he was cleared to return to surgery.

During the drive home, he thought about the interview and really had no idea how it went. There was no point in worrying about it. But the surgery! Now that was good to see. The sounds, smells, the people doing their jobs with quiet efficiency, the surgeon in charge of his domain, life and death or saving a limb. He had been completely engrossed by the whole experience. He knew more than ever that surgery was his calling, what he was destined to do. He looked forward to seeing his family and had missed them so much. He should be home in time to eat dinner with Louisa and bathe James Henry. Buddy greeted him enthusiastically, barking` and tail wagging. Martin spoke to him and hurried into the kitchen. Louisa was in front of the stove dishing up their supper and James Henry was in his carry all apparently fascinated with his hands. She turned to greet him with smiles, hugs and kisses. James Henry heard his voice and squealed with excitement. For the first time since he stopped going to Auntie Joan for holidays, it occurred to Martin that he felt welcome and had the feeling of actually being _home_. After an enthusiastic greeting from his wife, he turned to his son. He picked him up and they looked at each other. James Henry grinned and made all sorts of noises and his Daddy just looked at him in admiration. He wasn't the least sentimental but couldn't help feeling that his son was the most beautiful and special baby in the world.

"What are you cooking? I'm very hungry." He watched her move around the kitchen busily stirring, tasting and setting the table. "Fish stew, steamed asparagus and whole grain bread. It's a very comforting meal. Want a cuppa or some espresso before we eat? I'm dying to hear about your day but let's eat first. I want to listen when you talk, not worry about what I'm putting in my mouth. Just tell me one quick thing. Do you feel like it went well? To your advantage?"

He was rocking James Henry back and forth and gave a very simple answer of "I have no idea. The rest, I'll tell you later. Now, a quick answer from you. Wait, I don't think you can give me a quick answer since you had no idea what your meeting was going to be about. Just tell me if was good or…or what?"

She giggled and said "How about surprising? I think that's the best word – surprising. Put our centerpiece in his seat and let's eat. I've been too busy to eat lunch so I'm hungry, too. Cuppa?"

"No, I'll just drink water and have tea later. That smells very good. Thank you for doing this." He said as he placed James in his seat.

She looked at him in surprise and asked "What in the world is that all about? You're thanking me for cooking?"

"Yes, I don't thank you enough for all that you do and I probably won't after this but, tonight, thank you." He answered and lifted her off the floor with his embrace and kissed her like he usually did in the bedroom. "I also don't say I love you enough." He still held her in his arms and looked at her with 'that' look that melted her heart.

With her arms around his neck and that 'look' that was reserved for him in private, "And I don't say it enough to you. I love you Martin James Ellingham. You've brought so much happiness to my life and I'll be eternally grateful." She giggled a little breathlessly and told him "If you keep this up, we're going to have a late supper and James Henry will spend some unscheduled time in his crib!"

He gave her a quick kiss and pulled out her chair. "Let's eat before we faint from hunger."

The only noises were the ones made by James Henry and the scrape of the utensils. Martin broke his rule of moderate eating by devouring a second helping. Louisa's cooking had improved and he would now describe her as an excellent cook. They quickly cleaned up the kitchen, made their tea and went to the lounge. Martin carried James who proceeded to spit up a little on his pristine suit jacket. Louisa quickly got a wet flannel and cleaned it up.

Martin switched James Henry to his other arm and said "James Henry, I only have one suit left that hasn't been damaged. I just hope the dry cleaner will be able to remove this delightful surprise you gave me." He pressed the little body close to his chest and rubbed his nose in that soft neck and James mouthed his father's cheek. Martin pulled back so that they could look at each other while he said "I don't think I've ever told you before but I hope you know how very much I love you. I'm so proud that you're my son." James Henry grinned and chortled in response.

Louisa listened and hurriedly choked back tears. What in the world happened today?

"Here's our tea. Why not put him in the playpen while we talk. He should be ready to eat in about an hour." She suggested.

Martin rocked him a few more times and put him in the playpen. James Henry promptly re-discovered those strange things that kept appearing in front of his face and studied them intently.

"Ok, how did it go? You seem so upbeat." She asked.

"As I said, I really don't know. I couldn't read the Hospital Director, Dr. Petronella Black. She's very professional, polite and qualified. I knew everyone else on the board and it was good to talk 'shop' with them again. I've missed that. Chris was there, of course. He spoke up for me…there's no way I could ever show him how much I value his friendship. I wish I could talk to other people the way you can." He shook his head and sighed. "Anyway, I was asked to brief a Dr. Phillips on a surgical procedure he was scheduled to do. I've written a paper on the procedure but he said he hadn't read it. He's very sharp, very intuitive. Good surgeon. Anyway, we talked and he asked if I'd watch from the gallery and I did. He was flawless. Louisa, it felt so good to be in that environment again without worrying about fainting or vomiting. Being there, seeing it again. I want to be a surgeon again. Dr. Black was there about half way through it. She's not a talker either as far as I could tell. So that's it. We still wait. Now, how about your day?"

"Wait, after this and what you just said, will you still be content to stay here as gp if it doesn't work out in Truro?"

He didn't answer immediately the said "Yes…no! I can't answer you right now. I have to think about it for a while. Please give me time."


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40

She was careful to keep her expression calm and relaxed. "Of course. I thought this might happen. You told me once that surgery was the only thing you were good at - a statement that I strongly disagree with by the way – so I figured that possibly having the opportunity to be in that environment again would be very tempting."

"Thank you. It _is_ very exciting! But, tell me about your meeting. What did he want?" He asked.

Her face lit up with humor and excitement when she answered. "You remember when we talked about me tutoring? And the adult literacy program? Well, Mr. Straight wants me to tutor _during school hours_ to give some of the slower and advanced students the help they need. Of course I said yes and that I will contact three retired teachers her in the village who might be willing to help. The want me to be an ad hoc board member and I agreed to that also. He agreed with the adult literacy program and is going to talk to Mrs. Douthat about setting it up in the library. I suggested her because she has all the literature and is very familiar with it. I said no to one request – figuring out ways to encourage the villagers to use the leisure center more. Lots of the rooms go unused. I said that Lambert should be the one to do that since he's paid to run it. But I did offer some suggestions and he said he will bring them up to the board."

Martin nodded in agreement but voiced one concern. "We need to find a child minder for James Henry while you do this. It would be best if the applicants came after supper time to be interviewed. The interviews shouldn't take very long."

"Yes, but you must try to not scare them off. Whoever it is will be entrusted with the care of our son and we not only have to trust him or her, we _must_ be on good terms with them. While I'm away, you'll be the one to handle any problems or emergencies that might come up. Do you agree with that? I mean can you do it?" She asked with a stern look.

"Of course I can!" He replied huffily. "But I have important requirements and they certainly have to meet them."

"As do I. You know that I'm a list person so we'll make a list later. But I'm not finished yet. I suggested that we try to start a swim team again. That utilizes the center more and would help with the obesity problem in some of the children." Again he nodded in agreement. "I also suggested that an exercise program for the older population, even the ones in wheelchairs, would be of great benefit. The biggest problem with that is transportation. So many of them don't drive and can't afford to take a taxi and the bus doesn't go to all the places where they live. A van is the answer but it would have to be one that lifts wheelchairs in and out and those are expensive. Hopefully, there would be a couple of _unpaid_ people to drive it."

Martin interjected "That's the definition of 'volunteer'.

"Yes, I know that smarty pants! Anyway, that's the least likely to happen of the things I suggested. The village just can't afford the expense. And the last thing is, Morwenna asked me what it was all about so I told her, in confidence, what occurred and she made an excellent suggestion. We should try to set up an extension of the Truro and Penwith College in the center. That won't be an easy thing to do either but think how beneficial it would be, especially to the young people here." She stopped and grinned at him. "Not bad for a morning's work, innit?"

Most of the time he didn't get her humor but this time her grin alerted him, so with a deadpan expression, he answered "Yes, innit!" She giggled and preened a little for him, very satisfied with her day.

"May I make a suggestion?" he asked. She nodded and he continued. "Delegate. Morwenna has very good organizational skills and is very intelligent. Since it's her suggestion, see if she wants to talk to Lambert and the governing board and get their permission before she contacts the college. Does that sound like a good idea to you?"

"Yes, very good. Especially since I already thought of it. I'll talk to her in the morning before the surgery opens. And I'll call the three retired teachers. It's exciting for me to help the advanced students. I always remember Peter Cronk and what he should have had that we didn't offer. The school still needs more and better computers and, as always, no funds for them. I get so tired of saying that and hearing that." She said with a sigh.

Just then, James Henry made his presence known. His hands were still fascinating but his tummy was demanding attention. His whimpers quickly turned into howls of hunger. Martin picked him up and tried to sooth him while Louisa made his cereal.

"How about I feed him tonight? A little bonding time is a good thing." Martin said as he sat at the table. He held the baby in his lap instead of placing him in the carry all. "James, I'm feeding you a nutritious meal of rice cereal and your Mother's milk. She takes very good care of herself so the milk has all the nutrients you need to have a healthy body and the rice cereal fills your stomach so that you won't be hungry again so quickly and will get more sleep. The current theory is that babies shouldn't have cereal until they're about six months old but you have proven that theory isn't the best thing for every baby. You're doing so well and your Mummy and I are very proud of you. Now let's go find her and you can finish eating." He walked toward the lounge with James Henry on his shoulder, patting his back in case he needed winding. No spit up this time, just baby drool. Martin watched as he nursed and marveled again that these two incredible human beings were part of his life and had made it better than he ever thought possible. He remembered his thoughts on the way home and Louisa's question and knew that as long as they were part of his life, he would be happy anywhere – surgery or no surgery.

"Shall I bathe him or do you want to?" He asked as she winded him.

"I'll bathe him and you read him his bedtime story. Your voice soothes him more than mine ever could. All right?" She asked as she adjusted her blouse.

"That's satisfactory." He picked up the latest bmj to read, took it upstairs to the nursery and sat down in the rocker to wait.

Louisa's approach to bath time was different from Martin's. She tickled, talked baby talk and said things like "Where's your tummy? Huh? Can you find your tummy? There it is! How 'bout your toes?" James Henry showed his appreciation of both methods by grinning and cooing.

Martin could hear her and shook his head, partly in humor and partly in disapproval. Louisa brought a clean and dry baby, laid him in the crib and dressed him for nighttime.

"Is that what you're going to read to him?" She asked with a laugh as she handed him to his Daddy.

"Yes. I want to read this article and it's good for him to hear things like this." And he read until the baby fell asleep. Martin laid him gently in the crib and tucked the blanket around him. They both stood looking at him for a minute and then Louisa took Martin's hand and led him to the bedroom. "How does a communal shower sound to you? I'll wash your back." She asked coaxingly as she pulled his shirt up and gave little nipping kisses to the exposed areas.

Without answering, he pulled his shirt off and started on his pants while kissing her. She pulled her clothes off, too, and he lifted and carried her to the shower. She heard him murmur as they gently bathed each other "They say cleanliness is next to godliness. Especially when sex comes after."

The next morning they continued their regular routine – she went to the center to swim while he cared for James Henry. Upon returning to the surgery, she prepared their breakfast while he showered and dressed. He opened the surgery and she got James Henry settled in his playpen under the toy from Joe. Almost three months old, he cooed and chortled while swinging his arms and kicking. Louisa listened, entranced with the sounds. He was trying to roll over and his parents felt it wouldn't be long before he succeeded.

She called the three retired teachers, Imogen Charter, Jane Absolam (Bert's cousin) and Penny Scotch to tell them about the tutoring. Imogen and Penny were delighted to help, Jane had hip replacement and had to say no for the present. Mrs. Blythe agreed to meet with them after school later in the week. Then, she wrote an advert for a baby minder to put in the Cornish Guardian. Better to find one through people she knew and trusted if possible. If not, the advert would go in.

By the time she finished, James Henry demanded attention. Cereal finished off by nursing, he was ready for a clean nappy and his mid morning nap.

She straightened up the lounge, put a load of clothes in to wash and started preparing lunch. She had always thought that not working and being a homemaker and mother would bore her to death. Wrong! She always had something that needed doing. Now, tutoring. Her life was so good!

Martin had his usual day in the consulting room except for one patient. Joseph Harding, a local handyman/fisherman/auto mechanic had come to the surgery last week complaining of being tired all the time and had no appetite. Martin sent him to the hospital in Truro for tests for pancreatic cancer. He had all the symptoms – abdominal and back pain, unexplained weight loss, upset stomach, unusual light colored stools and appeared to be jaundiced. The lab called and confirmed the diagnosis. Martin hated cancer. And to tell a man like Joseph; hard working, honest, married and the father of three bright, active little boys all under ten years old would be one of the hardest things he had done as gp. He told Morwenna to call him to make an appointment. It was essential that he start treatments immediately.

The bright spot of his day was lunch with Louisa and James Henry. He was changing every day. Getting stronger, more alert and controlling his movements better. Lunch was of optimal nutritional value just as he like his meals to be – fish paste on whole grain bread, fruit salad and cheese. He invited Morwenna to eat with them since she had left her lunch at home and she gratefully accepted. James Henry chortled and grinned at the sight of her. She had been working hard on their relationship and it paid off. They were firm friends.

"Morwenna, do you know anyone who is looking for part time work? We need a baby minder a few hours a week while I tutor at the school. I'm hoping that one will be recommended by one of my friends but, if not, I'll put an ad in the paper." Louisa asked as they cleared the table and loaded the dishwasher.

"I might know someone. Let me find out what she's doing now. You probably know her. Rebecca Sims, she had a bake shop with her husband for years. Raised five kids. Remember her?" Morwenna responded as she tickled James Henry under the chin.

"Yes, she sold the shop and retired on the proceeds. What made you think of her?" Louisa asked as she swept up the crumbs on the floor.

"I met her at the pub on quiz night. She's bored and is looking for something to do but she may have found it by now. She was baby sittin' the grand-kids but they're old enough now to be on their own. Can't say she hasn't had enough experience! I'll check with her and get back with you. Got to get back to work before Doc comes looking for me." Morwenna left with a wave and a smile.

"Well young man, want to go for a stroll to the shops to buy something for dinner. No fish! Not tonight anyway. Daddy can eat an apple if he doesn't want beef. Come on, let's get you ready. Want to see Uncle Joe? And Grand-pa Bert? I do so let's go." Louisa put him in the stroller and started down the hill with Buddy close beside them. He was still so curious about what was in the stroller. He had glimpses of it and wasn't sure if it should be added to the things he guarded.

Louisa bought a small beef roast, onions, potatoes, carrots and parsnips for the pot roast she planned on cooking for dinner. The tangerines looked fresh so they went in the cart, too. James Henry was lulled to sleep half way through the shopping trip. When they got home, Louisa laid him in his play pen and he continued to nap peacefully. She started the pot roast and the kitchen smelled wonderful. Martin could smell it in the consulting room and his stomach growled. Just a few more hours to go.


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 41

It was a beautiful afternoon so Louisa took James Henry out to the terrace and they sat enjoying the light breeze and the familiar sight of the village below them. Buddy came close and finally got to examine that strange little package that his masters carried around. James Henry turned and saw him. They stared at each other for a few seconds and Buddy barked. James Henry jumped a little and then giggled. Buddy barked again and the same thing happened. This was fun! He sat up and waved his paws, turned in circles like he was chasing his tail and rolled over. James Henry laughed at everything getting louder and louder. This was the first time he actually laughed out loud and it was so cute that Mommy laughed, too. Morwenna heard them and came outside and she started laughing. Chippy Miller was passing by and he stopped and laughed and clapped his hands, encouraging Buddy to do more. Martin heard a baby laughing outside his surgery. Certainly strange and now Louisa and Morwenna joined in. Who was the man? He walked to the door and realized his son was the baby laughing. Buddy was putting on a show for James Henry and he was thoroughly enjoying it – giggling and energetically waving his arms. The grim faced doctor didn't smile but the Daddy did. Buddy saw him and ran to his side, still barking. Louisa turned and, for the first time, she saw her husband truly smiling. The scowl was replaced with pride and pleasure and the difference in his face took her breath away. Buddy ran back to James Henry and sat in front of him, tongue hanging out, tail wagging and panting from all his exertions. James Henry reached for him and the little dog inched closer so that the baby could reach his head. He was rewarded for his efforts with a squeal of laughter.

"That's some friend your lad has Louiser. He'll watch out for him and no mistake. Well, got to go. Later." And he continued on down the hill.

Morwenna went back in to close the surgery and clear her desk for tomorrow.

Martin walked over to sit beside his family. Buddy came and sat in front of him and Martin said, as he stroked his head, "That was quite a show you put on. Here, I'd like you to meet James Henry, our son. James Henry, meet Buddy." And he took the baby from Louisa, held him on his lap and let Buddy sniff and get to know him. "Supper smells good. Let's go eat. I'm very hungry."

Martin, who rarely ate red meat, had a second helping of the roast. The vegetables were cooked to perfection.

James Henry ate his evening cereal and nursed, nuzzling his Mother and grinning at her. Martin bathed and dressed him for bed. Louisa watched the telly while Martin read the latest lancet. He found his eyes drifting to her, noticing how her blouse, still unbuttoned from when she nursed the baby for the last time that night, showed the curve of her breasts. Her pants showed off the shape of her legs and that luscious bum and his thoughts turned to bed. Actually what they did in bed.

"Are you ready to go upstairs? I want to get an early night." He asked with his eyes on her breasts.

"Why? Are you doing something unusual tomorrow?" She answered absent mindedly, engrossed in the tv program.

"No. Just the thought of an early night appeals to me." And he let his fingers drift down her arm and trail along her thigh.

She understood, smiled privately to herself and said "Ok, go on up and I'll join you later. I think I'll have a cup of tea." She looked at him and saw his disappointed expression. "But first, I think I'll do this. It's a little warm in here." She stood and slowly unbuttoned the last buttons on her blouse and let it drop to the floor. The nursing bra was still unsnapped and, with her back to him, it joined the blouse on the floor. She heard him catch his breath and undid snap on her pants, turned to face him and gently twisted her hips, letting them slide down her legs. She stood before him in nothing but her panties and moving close to him, nodded to them and looked back at him, her intentions clear. He reached for them, started to pull them down over her hips and…the doorbell rang.

"Oh, shit! He exclaimed in frustration. "Who the hell…?" Adjusted the front of his pants and went to answer the door.

She hurriedly pulled her blouse back on and ran to the kitchen to finish dressing.

He yanked the front door open ready to blast whoever was there. The words stuck in his throat when he saw a child about eight or nine years old, standing on the terrace barefooted and dressed only in a short nightgown. She was sobbing uncontrollably, pale and trembling, knees and hands skinned and bleeding. She had a bruise on one cheek and appeared to have a small haematoma on her temple. His temper and lust disappeared as he held the door open for her to come in.

"Come through to the consulting room. He helped her climb onto the examination couch, pulled his first aid supplies to him and started working on her knees. "Can you tell me what happened? How did you hurt yourself. Here's some tissue so please try to stop crying and talk to me. Come now, you're safe here. Tell me what happened." He questioned her as he gently cleaned and dressed her wounds. "What's your name?"

Through her sobs, he could make out 'Miss Glasson' so he called for her to come to the room. She hurried in, now completely dressed, and said "Maisie Beckworth! What happened to you? Why are you out alone like this?" She carefully embraced her.

"Louisa, tell me what you know about her. Where are her parents?" He asked while examining the bump on her head.

She shook her head at Martin while still comforting the child. "Maisie, would you like a cup of tea? I can have it ready dreckly. It might make you feel better."

Maisie gripped Louisa's hand, smearing it with blood, and nodded yes, her sobs reduced to sniffles.

"As soon as Dr. Ellingham finishes, we'll go to the kitchen. Ok?" Louisa said.

Maisie nodded and wiped her runny nose on her hand. Martin handed her another tissue and asked again "Can you tell me what happened to you? How did you hurt yourself? Were you running from someone?"

Her lips started trembling again and tears ran down her face as she nodded. "My brother has to work out of town for a few days and he left me with his girlfriend. I don't like her. She's mean! Her name is Jenny and she sent me to bed real early. I couldn't go to sleep so I went downstairs to get a glass of water and there was a man there with her. They didn't have any clothes on and they were doing something funny. I didn't understand! They saw me and got mad and started yelling at me. Jenny hit me on my face and kept hitting my back and bottom. I ran to the door and she shoved me out. That's when I fell down and hurt my hands and knees. I'm sorry Miss Glasson but you're the only one I could think of." And she started sobbing uncontrollably again. "I want my brother! Please call my brother."

At those words, Martin carefully lifted her gown and saw bruises on her back and had no doubt that her bottom had them, too. He felt incredible rage and, at the same time, pity for the child. At Imperial he and his team had operated for hours on an abused child but failed to save him. The damage was just too extensive. All the doctors felt such sorrow and helplessness when they finally accepted the fact that death had claimed him. None of them would ever forget.

Louisa picked her up and held her, rocking gently and whispering soothing words to her. Martin went to the receptionist desk and called Penhale. To his credit, there was no unnecessary talk, he just came to the surgery immediately.

They waited in the kitchen and Maisie had warm, sweet tea and apple slices. Louisa asked her where Jenny lived. "No Miss Glasson! She's in my brother's house with that man. Can you call my brother? Please?"

Louisa assured her. "Yes sweetheart. As soon as PC Penhale gets here, we'll try to call him. Do you know where he is?"

"Not exactly but I can tell you his cell number. He told me to call him if I needed anything. It's *80-843-1209-8072." Then she shyly asked if she could have a biscuit and was handed one of Louisa's precious Chocolate Digestives and some milk.

Martin met Penhale at the door and quickly filled him in on what had happened but before taking him to the kitchen, he asked "Where are the child's parents? Why is she living with her brother and what's his name?"

"The dynamic duo! Pleasure to work with the other half again. Well, this is what happened. The brother's name is George Trent. He's from the mother's first marriage. When her husband died, she married Harvey Beckworth. He was president of the local bank. He and the mother died in a car crash last year and

* **I tried to make the phone number just numbers but can't so please don't call it. I have no idea if it's a real number or not.**

George moved back here so's Maisie wouldn't have to change schools on top of losing her parents. He's an accountant and a good guy. Takes good care of the little girl." He puffed out his chest, lifted the heavy belt buckle and bragged "Got to know my villagers, Doc and keep'em safe. Now this girl friend – bad sort but fools people till they learn better. Poor George. This is gonna tear him up. If you have the number, I'll call him and then talk to Maisie."

Martin returned to the kitchen to see Maisie and Louisa enjoying a Chocolate Digestive. He shook his head disapprovingly but knew better than to protest. Instead, he heated more water for tea. "At least James Henry is sleeping through this. Maisie, PC Penhale is calling your brother right now. Do you want to speak to him?"

She nodded enthusiastically, got down off her chair and ran to the receptionist area. "Let me talk to him, please?"

Penhale handed her the phone and she started sniffling again. "George? When are you coming home? I can't go back home as long as Jenny's there. Ok, I'll see you tomorrow. Yes, I love you, too. Bye." She handed the phone to Penhale and told him "He'll be here tomorrow. But where am I supposed to sleep tonight? In a hotel?"

"Let's go to the kitchen and talk to Mrs. Ellingham. Ok?" He took her hand and walked with her to the kitchen.

"Mrs. Ellingham! Oh no! I've been calling her Miss Glasson. I bet she's mad at me." Maisie said sadly. "I'm so tired."

"Now I doubt that very much. You know Louiser. Let's go ask her." He said as they went to the kitchen.

"Louiser, we got a tired girl here. Her brother will be here tomorrow and she can't stay by herself or with that Jenny person. So we got whatcha call a dilemma here. Think you and the Doc can help out?" Penhale asked with his slightly idiotic grin.

Martin's first instinct was to say no but the weary look on the child's face quieted him. Louisa answered. "Of course we can help. We have a small bed in the nursery and she can sleep there. I'll call the school tomorrow and tell them she won't be there but will do her work here with me. The only problem is how do I get clothes for her?"

"Well now, I think that can be handled alright. I'm going to her house right after I leave here and I can guarantee that Jenny and that feller won't be there tomorrow! I can handle the perps. You can take her home tomorrow and she can dress there. Will that work?" Penhale asked. Martin stared at him with amazement. He was actually being helpful. Not a complete idiot after all.

"Well yes, it works for me. How about you Maisie? Is that ok with you?" Asked Louisa with an encouraging smile.

Maisie yawned hugely and nodded. "Come on then. Let's get you in bed. We must be very quiet so we won't wake the baby so sh-h-h." Louisa held her hand while they climbed the stairs and asked if she needed the loo before bedtime. Yawning again, Maisie shook her head no and more or less fell into bed. Louisa carefully tucked the blankets around her, stopped to check on a peacefully sleeping James Henry and tiptoed out of the room.

Martin was trying to show a talkative Penhale out of the house. Finally, he turned off the lights and ordered "Lock the door behind you." And went upstairs.

Penhale kept talking "The dynamic duo! Nothing we can't fix when the two of us work on it. I'll say good night and go arrest the perps. Never know when the next crime will happen. Always got to be ready." He talked as he left the surgery and carefully locked the door behind him.

The 'perps' had scarpered by the time he got to the house. The front door was left open and the room was in complete disarray. He had no information about the visitor, where they went or how. All he could do was call headquarters and put out an apb on the woman and start a house to house inquiry in the morning. He loved perps and being in the middle of a hotbed of crime!

Martin and Louisa got ready for bed fully intending to continue what they started but once again, fate intervened. Louisa pulled her nightgown over her naked body, kissed his cheek with a rueful look and ran to see what Maisie was crying about. He was right behind her to comfort James Henry who was woken by the strange noise.

"Maisie, Maisie. What's wrong? It's all right sweetheart. It's all right." Louisa said as she tried to comfort her.

Maisie threw her arms around Louisa's neck and sobbed "I want my Mommy and Daddy! Why did they have to die?"

Louisa's expression of helplessness touched Martin. Poor child! He didn't know what to say either. This was an unusual feeling for him. He had always kept himself walled off from other people's emotions. Life was easier that way. But now – what if James Henry was ever in a situation like this child was in. He hoped someone would try to help. James Henry stopped crying as soon as he felt his father's arms and heard his voice. He snuggled his face in Martin's neck and easily fell asleep. Martin continued to hold him while he listened to Louisa comfort Maisie.

"Maisie, can you please look at me? We know you're sad. Losing your parents is an awful thing. You loved them and they loved you. The thing is, as long as you remember them and love them, they'll be with you in your heart. It will always hurt but as you get older, it won't hurt so much. You have your brother and you know he loves and cares for you. He'll be here tomorrow." Maisie stopped crying and Louisa stroked her cheek and held her in a comforting embrace.

"They'll always be with me? Are you sure? I loved them so much." She asked, begging for reassurance.

Louisa answered "Yes, as long as you love and remember them, they'll be with you.

Maisie, do you remember Miss Joan Norton? The lady who delivered vegetables around town? You do? Well, she was Doc Martin's aunt and my best friend and we loved her so much. She died just a few months ago and it hurt to lose her. But we still love her and feel that she's near us. Can you think about that and see if you feel better?"

Maisie slowly nodded and reached up to kiss her cheek. "Now, let me tuck you in and we'll see you in the morning. Good night."

She smiled shyly at Martin and whispered "Thank you for helping me. Good night."

Martin choked a little when hearing her words. They startled him. He believed that James Henry and Peter Cronk were the only children who had ever liked him.

He gently laid James Henry back in his crib and covered him up. He had always felt protective towards his family but the feeling now overwhelmed him. He was trembling and tears were in his eyes. He left the room and Louisa, finished tucking Maisie in, followed him.


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter 42

She placed her hand on his chest and looked at his face. His expression was grim and his lips were tightly closed. He had wiped the tears off his face. "Martin, you did wonderfully tonight. Thank you for helping that child. What tragedy!" She watched his face as she spoke and went on "What are you thinking? You look so sad and it breaks my heart."

He shook his head and sat on the side of the bed pulling her down next to him. She could tell that speaking would be hard for him so didn't press anymore.

Eventually he controlled his voice enough to say "What if that was our son? If we died like Maisie's parents, who would look after him, raise him? Louisa, we can't leave him unprotected. We're failing him with our ambitions and meetings and all the other stupid distractions that have seeped into our lives! But no more! The first thing is naming godfathers. You like lists so make one of your choices and I'll have mine ready." His voice was agonized as he continued. "Louisa, what if that was our son?"

She climbed up on the bed and sat behind him on her knees with her arms around his neck. "I know. But we won't leave him unprotected. We won't. And I know for certain that you'll never leave either one of us unprotected. You're the gold standard as far as being dependable and loving your family goes. But right now, we need to get some sleep. You have to work tomorrow and I have meetings to attend. My stupid distractions! Come on, my lovely man." She pulled off her night gown and crawled under the covers. He undressed and joined her, pressing close to her warm, naked body. They fell asleep immediately but both had disturbing dreams so didn't feel at all rested the next morning. James Henry woke them up with his cooing and babbling. That was usually his five minute warning before demanding his breakfast. Louisa dragged herself out of bed, visited the loo, brushed her teeth, slipped on her dressing gown and went to their son.

Maisie was still asleep so she shushed him, grabbed a nappy, an outfit and left the room. "Hey beautiful boy! Good morning. Did you sleep well? I bet you're hungry." Changed, clean and hungry, he was ready for the day. Martin lay watching them remembering his agony the night before. He would start to remedy that problem today. Time to rise and get ready for another day in the surgery. By the time he entered the kitchen, James Henry was nursing. He saw his father and grinned with the nipple still in his mouth. His arms and legs churned with excitement. Martin put two fingers against his temple and said "Good morning James Henry. I trust you slept well. What do you want for breakfast, Louisa?"

"I'm fancying soft boiled eggs and soldiers with hot coffee. Does that sound good to you?" She replied as she put the baby on her shoulder and started winding him.

Martin stepped to her side while saying "Let me do that, please. I need to hold him this morning."

"Ok, I'll fix breakfast while you take care of him." She said as she rose and handed him the baby.

He held James Henry close and patted his back. The baby's face was nestled in his neck and he made sucking noises against Martin's skin and spit up on that warm neck and clean white shirt entirely missing the burping cloth.

"Well, I think a change of clothing is in order. Thank goodness the dry cleaners have perfected the technique of removing spit up from my clothes." The baby thought this was a great game and laughed, kicked and waived his arms to show his appreciation. "Manners. We really need to discuss manners, James Henry." He was placed in his play pen with Al's toy place over his body. Martin started to walk away but turned back. "Louisa, come here. Look at what he's doing."

"What?" She asked, hurrying into the room.

"Watch his eyes and hands. He's looking at one of those things hanging down and reaching for the one he wants! Look at his coordination. Sh-h-h, don't interrupt him." They stood silently watching his movements. His head jerked and they came into his line of sight. He cooed, babbled and grinned like they were best thing he had ever seen. As tempting as it was to pick him up, experience had taught them to let him play until he demanded attention. Martin tore his eyes away and continued upstairs to change clothes. Maisie walked out of the nursery just as he reached the top of the stairs. She gave him a timid smile and asked where the loo was. A few minutes later, she made her way to the kitchen where Louisa greeted her warmly.

"Good morning Maisie. You look pretty this morning! Hungry? Good. We're having soft boiled eggs and soldiers. Does that suit you?" Louisa asked with a welcoming smile.

"Yes, please. I'm hungry. May I have some milk?" Maisie replied. Louisa thought she still looked pale and tired but not as unhappy as the night before. She poured the milk and put her breakfast on the table in front of her. Maisie ate hungrily and asked for more toast. "This is good. Jenny's not a very good cook and I couldn't eat very much of anything. Ugh! Her chicken was awful."

"I'm sorry but you won't have to see her again. More toast? Or another egg? I'll fix whatever you want. Oh, there's the phone. I'll be back in a jiffy." Louisa said as she hurried out of the room. "Hello, PortWenn Surgery. Oh, hello George. Where are you? You should be here soon then. Yes, she's in the kitchen eating her breakfast. All right, I'll tell her."

As she entered the kitchen, she smiled and said "Good news! Your brother should be here in about ten minutes. He'll take you home, but maybe he'll eat breakfast with us first."

Maisie smiled and asked for a Chocolate Digestive. She was as fond of them as Louisa was.

Martin returned dressed in a clean clothes, said a hurried good morning, bolted down his breakfast and left for the consultation room. Morwenna was already at her desk and the surgery was open for business.

George knocked on the back door and Maisie ran to open it. He scooped her up in his arms and held her tight. "Oh, little love. I'm so sorry! I thought she would take good care of you. Never again! I'll take better care from now on. Good morning Mrs. Ellingham. I want to thank you and Dr. Ellingham for taking care of my sister." He noticed her bare feet and continued "I'll carry her to my car and take her home. I'll call Penhale from there. I'm sure he wants to talk to me."

Louisa smiled in welcome and agreed with him. "Yes, I'm sure he will. If you want, I'll call the school and get her work so she won't fall behind."

George hesitated a moment, then said "No thank you. It's my responsibility. She's my little sister. Ready to go, sweetheart? Wait, does the Doc need to see her before we go?"

"That's a good question. Let me find out." Louisa went to Morwenna to ask if Martin was free to see her.

"Yeah, he's between appointments. Go on in. But I have something to tell you when we close the surgery." Morwenna smiled as she answered

Louisa knocked on the consulting room door and heard Martin say "Come."

She asked about Maisie and he said that, yes, he wanted to examine her again. George brought her in.

"On the examination couch, please. Yes, that's right." He put fresh dressings on her scrapes and declared that the bump on her head and bruises on her body weren't serious but he wanted to see her again in two days. George saw her wounds and bruises, gulped loudly and Martin heard him moan "Oh god, baby I'm so sorry."

Martin gave George antibiotic ointment and bandages to take with him and he picked her up, sincerely thanked Martin and they left.

The day went on with more patients, one house call and that was it. For the first time in his memory, there were no patients in the waiting room in the early afternoon. Morwenna took the opportunity to straighten out her files and Martin wrote up prescriptions, straightened his supply closet and, finally, closed the surgery. He wanted to see James and Louisa. He hadn't once thought of his application at the Royal Cornwall Hospital. Just his family and his patients.

Morwenna came to the kitchen to tell Louisa she had talked to Rebecca Sims and she was interested in seeing her about being their baby minder. "Here's her number. Hope it works out for you. See you tomorrow. Bye my bestest buddy." And she blew James Henry a kiss and left.

They had a quiet and relaxing week-end. Caring for James Henry, cleaning, laundry, shopping, a visit to see Bert and Al, cooking and catching up their reading and preparations for Monday filled their weekend. Louisa called Rebecca Sims and arranged for an interview Tuesday evening. And James Henry found something else to fascinate him – feet. They were so much fun. It was confusing at first – sometimes he had toes and other times he didn't. Ah ha! Pull those things off and there were his toes. They were good to suck on, too.

The following Monday Louisa took the baby with her to the school for her meeting with Mrs. Blythe and the other volunteer tutors. He was a little disruptive but everyone there had dealt with children and was understanding. Dates were set and divided for the tutoring to begin. Louisa was excited and eager to begin.

Martin was determined to discuss the future and how they were to protect James Henry. They ordered take out from Bert's and Martin gave the food his full approval. Louisa got her list and they started.

"I'll go first; Al, Roger Finn and Stuart Pegg are the men I thought of. Good, solid and responsible men. I don't know why but the godmother is difficult. Do we want old, young, single, married, with children, no children and so on. I didn't consider any of these things when I thought of the men." She asked.

"I really don't know why. Both are easy for me. You've made good choices for the men. I have Chris Parsons and Al. The godmother, if we choose Chris, would be Carol. Doesn't that make sense to you?" Martin said as he sipped his tea.

Worried, she replied. "But you've only named two. What if one says no? We're supposed to have two. And Martin," she stopped not sure how to proceed.

"Yes? What's bothering you? Don't you approve of Chris? You know he's a good man and has been my friend for years. Carol, too." It was his turn to worry.

"Don't take this the wrong way but…well, Chris and Carol have three children and you're not anything to them. Is it fair for us to ask them to take on this responsibility?" She asked.

He gave her a slightly puzzled look "But I am something to two of them – the boys. I'm their godfather. I contribute to their education funds and have them listed as beneficiaries in my will."

"You never told me that! I swear Mar-tin, you surprise me every day! Godfather to any other children that I don't know about?" She asked huffily.

"We're veering from the purpose of this conversation. Do you approve of Chris or not? We have one – Al – since we both named him. My objection to Roger Finn is that he had two children of his own very late in life. We don't want a dotard to be responsible for James Henry. You've never mentioned Stuart Pegg. Who is he?"

She grinned and warned him, "You'd better not let Roger hear you call him 'dotard'! As to Stuart, we were friends at uni. More than friends actually. We just sort of – well one day we realized that we were good friends, nothing more. We've kept in touch and he's married with a daughter. I'd like for you to meet him even if we don't ask him to be godfather. And as for Chris, yes, I'm satisfied with him. So we have Al and Chris. When do we ask them?" She asked as she tossed her list down.

"We'll go and see Al whenever you want. As for Chris, I would suggest asking them for dinner but he's involved in the selection process at the hospital and it could be awkward. Any ideas?" Martin turned to look at her questioningly.

"Remember that Carol and I've planned to meet for lunch and go shopping tomorrow? Why don't you and Chris meet us for dinner somewhere. Would that be a good time to ask them?" She looked doubtful as she asked.

Always straightforward, he answered "When would be a better time? Of course, they may refuse us you know. We can speak to Al next week. We'll take James Henry for a walk one evening soon to the platt and speak to him then. "

"I think that's a good idea. So, we've named our candidates. Now all we can do is ask them. We sure are doing a lot of waiting! Look who's awake! Hello James Henry. Com'ere and let us see you. I believe you've grown in your sleep. What a big, beautiful boy you are. Daddy, will you hold him while I get a clean nappy?"

Martin took the smiling baby, touched his forehead and held him sitting up in his lap so they could see each other. "Hello James Henry. I trust you had a good nap. Your mother and I have been discussing the best people to choose as your godfathers and godmother. I wish you could talk to us; maybe tell us the best choices to make. Rest assured that your mother and I will always value your opinion and love you unconditionally." Martin lifted him and he stiffened his legs supporting his weight. Louisa came back with the clean nappy, changed him and went to the kitchen to prepare his cereal. He was doing so well and changing every day. She added his first fruit, apple sauce, and he smacked his lips at the taste. She took him to the lounge to nurse.

Martin brought up the trust fund they had started for him. "It's doing fairly well considering how the market's been acting. I'll go, uh, we'll go see Clarence Bigwell and see what we can do, if anything, to make it grow a little more." He shot her a guilty glance, hoping she didn't catch his slip up.

She nodded in agreement. "After he finishes nursing, I'll call Carol and see if the plans for dinner are ok. You can bring James Henry with you. It'll be great to see them again. And Martin, I'm not sure how I feel about asking them Saturday. It will seem so contrived. Wouldn't it be better to ask them to come here and tell them what we want to ask them?" Louisa asked, clearly uneasy."

Martin was surprised by her unease. Always straightforward and painfully honest, he couldn't understand. "I don't understand your reluctance. Chris and I've been friends for years and, if anyone knows me besides you, it's him. But, I agree to wait. And, it's been some time since we've been out without James Henry. Let's ask Morwenna if she can keep him for us. Even if Chris and Carol can't meet us, we can still go to a nice restaurant. I can recommend Falmouth Bay Seafood or, if you prefer Indian food, the Kathmandu Palace is very good. It's small so a reservation is essential. Of course, you're familiar with Truro so you may have somewhere else in mind."

"Yes, I know several good restaurants but I think they should choose this time since we did last time. No matter where it is, you can find something to eat. And, if we plan on leaving James Henry with Morwenna, I really need to try him on a bottle. And speaking of that, I'm going to switch him to bottles for every feeding. I've enjoyed the experience and feel that it's been very beneficial for him but I'm going to be a little busier from now on and bottles are easier."

"It's totally your decision but I concur. Formula has all the nutrients he needs and it will certainly save you time. Here, let me wind him while you call Carol." He took the baby from her and she went to the kitchen to make the call.

"Now James Henry, I hope you're considerate of my clean clothes. Our dry cleaning bill is astronomical." The baby burped loudly and laughed at the sound. Martin nuzzled his nose into a soft cheek and James Henry took the opportunity to turn his head slightly and burped up his father's nose. He enjoyed the noise and sensation of his burps and laughed, kicked his legs and drooled on his father's cheek. "I think I should call you a tosser for that!"

Louisa strode briskly back into the room and reported "She says the plans for dinner are ok. I'm going to meet her at The Range Home Leisure and Garden Store at 2:00 to look for some new garden furniture. We'll go to some department stores after that and she wants to eat dinner at Falmouth Bay Seafood at 6:30. Isn't that one that you suggested? Yes, well great minds you know. Now, one of us needs to call Morwenna. This is really short notice. I hope she can come."

"Um-m." was his response. "I'll call her." He put the baby in the playpen, got his cell phone and placed the call. Fortunately, she was available and happy to help them out. "She says yes and that Al will be with her so that's taken care of. Now I have an email to show you. It's from Dr. Black at the hospital." He went to his consultation room to get the piece of paper. "Here, sounds like positive news."

She eagerly read the two short paragraphs and smiled at what they said.

'Dr. Ellingham,

Just a note to keep you abreast of the developments in regard to your application to this hospital. I've spoken with Dr. Parsons and he agreed to call another board meeting for next Wednesday, October – at 11:00am. At that meeting, we will discuss your application.

I've researched your background, spoken with Dr. Leslie Timberland and your former supervisor and colleagues at Imperial in London. I must say that everything I've learned about you or heard about you has been very positive. To have someone of your quality here as a surgeon would definitely be a plus for us.

I look forward to speaking with you again.'


	43. Chapter 43

A guest reviewed my last chapter and said she would pay $100 for a short chapter. I can't answer her so I'm giving a message here. I don't purposely put breaks in my story. It just flows. Sorry if it upsets you as I value your input. This chapter is long but I hope you like it anyway.

Chapter 43

Louisa smiled broadly as she told him "I think it's very encouraging and much faster than I thought it would be. I'm delighted, my darling, that your talents and dedication to your craft are recognized by so many people. How do you feel about the email?"

He blushed at her praise and mumbled "Yes, er yes. Seems to be positive."

She shook her head and smiled ruefully. Would he ever be able to accept praise?

He looked up from his hands to see James Henry starting to roll over for the first time. He silently touched her arm and pointed to the playpen. Instead of quietly observing the action as Martin was doing, she squealed and clapped her hands. The noise startled James Henry and he rolled over onto his stomach kicking and laughing with delight.

Louisa got down on her knees beside him and, looking through the bars, said "Look at you! What a big boy you are. Oh my, Grand-pa Bert is going to be so proud of you! Let's not tell Al. He'll find out tomorrow night. It'll be a surprise for him and Morwenna. Can you do it again? Come on, let's try." She stood and rolled him to his back. He looked a little confused but grinned at her and started pushing his body to roll over again. "Yea! You did it! Look Daddy. He did it again." Mommy was very vocal with her delight.

Martin on the other hand very calmly told his son "Well done. You're progressing satisfactorily." But it must be told that he had a parental spark of pride in his eyes.

Louisa looked at him with mock surprise and said with a laugh "Well said. I'd hate for you to overwhelm him with praise!"

Serious Martin replied "Don't worry. I have no intention of ever giving false or excessive praise to anyone."

Saturday morning came with a rush. It seemed to Louisa that the faster she moved, the less she got accomplished. It was suddenly 10:30 and she wasn't even out of her gown and robe. Martin had gotten dressed, done the baby's morning routine, brought him to her after he fed him the cereal, ate his breakfast and opened the surgery. All without missing a step. He even managed to find the time to give her a smug look. Gr-r-r.

"Concentrate Louisa! Calm down and take things one step at a time." She took James Henry upstairs with her, spread a blanket on the floor and went to the loo to apply her makeup. He proceeded to roll over and over until he was under the chair. She ran to rescue him and put him back on the blanket. That lasted less than two minutes. He was under the chair again, angry because he couldn't roll any further. She tried putting him in his carry all and managed to pull on her knickers before he decided that he liked the floor better. Back on the blanket with pillows around him. That worked long enough for her to put on her red jumper and jewelry. He decided that some attention would be nice so she grabbed a stuffed animal and that lasted long enough for her to put on a pair of shoes. 11:30 – time to feed him again. He had cereal and apple sauce again to his delight. She took him upstairs to give him a bottle and he fell asleep still suckling. No problems thank goodness! She laid him gently in the crib, covered him up and tiptoed out of the room.

The surgery ran over about fifteen minutes. She was ready to run for her car as soon as Martin put in an appearance. As soon as he entered the kitchen, she said "Ok, there are two bottles in the fridge, open a new jar of apple sauce and I'll see you at 6:30. Bye. Love you." She sort of slid a kiss past his face on her way out the door and she was gone. The drive to Truro was easy. No unusual traffic and no problems. She parked in the public parking lot about a block away from the store. The weather was perfect and even the short walk to the store was invigorating. Carol pulled in the store parking lot just as she got there. It had been a while since they had seen each other and they had a lot to catch up on. They wandered around the store and Carol was very glad to have such a wide selection of furniture to choose from. Louisa had enough experience to just nod and say 'Lovely' or 'Oh yes, that's nice' when asked for her opinion.

"I really think this set will work the best for us. It's durable and sturdy so the boys should be ok around it. It's also weather proof so no putting is under cover every time it rains. I love the colors and the umbrella is _huge_! The salesman said they can deliver it Monday afternoon. Everything is working out just fine. I'll be back as soon as I pay for it. Want to meet at that huge potted plant over there?" Carol said excitedly.

Louisa nodded and spent a few minutes looking at the potted herbs. "Martin loves to cook with fresh herbs. We're going to have to clean up the back garden for James Henry to have a place to play outdoors anyway so maybe there'll be space for a small garden. Hm-m-m, I wonder if…" and she was interrupted by Carol.

"Ready to go? Do we walk or do I drive? There are department stores about two blocks that way." Carol pointed to her right.

"Let's walk. It's such a gorgeous day." Louisa said.

They set out, stopping frequently to window shop. Louisa noticed that Carol was unusually quiet at times. She would suddenly realize it and start chattering.

"Have I done something to offend her? I can't think of anything." Thought Louisa. She suggested they stop in an adorable tea room for some refreshments before they went to the big department stores. Carol was agreeable to the suggestion.

They went in, found a table and ordered tea and scones.

"This is very pleasant and something I very rarely have time to do." Said Louisa while she examined the table setting.

Carol nodded but looked like she was trying to hold back something she wanted to say.

Louisa was anxious now. "Carol, is something wrong? Are the kids and Chris ok? You seem troubled somehow. Please talk to me if it will help."

Carol blushed a little and answered "I'm not supposed to say anything to you but I can't help it. Chris is hurt over this and so am I. We don't understand why you haven't asked us about being god parents to James Henry. Have _we_ done something to make you doubt us?" She was so clearly troubled.

Louisa burst out laughing making Carol look at her like she had suddenly gone bodmin. "I'm sorry. It's just so funny. We were talking about this just last night but I felt that we might be imposing on you since you already have three children. Martin disagreed. He felt no hesitation at all."

Carol smiled in relief. "Thank goodness! We just couldn't think why you hadn't asked us. We will be honored to be god parents to James Henry. We love him dearly and you know that he would be cared for just like one of our own. Do you mind if I call Chris to tell him? He'll be relieved."

"No, not at all. Martin has the baby so I'll tell him tonight at dinner. This all came to a head because of a little girl in the village. She came to us for help a couple of nights ago, running from an abusive situation. It hit Martin so hard!" And Louisa continued to relate the story of Maisie and how Martin handled the situation.

"He acts so unfeeling and gruff but he's the most caring man I've ever met. Oh, I don't mean to leave Chris out. I know he's equally wonderful but doesn't have Martin's, er, his deplorable bed side manner." Said with a rueful shake of her head.

"I know and I agree, they're both wonderful men and we're both _very_ lucky. I wish you could've known Martin back at uni and med school. He was quiet and sometimes gruff but could be so witty. Very dry wit. He and Chris together would crack me up! He clearly had more money than we did but we never felt it. He was so casual about it and would spend time in my flat and didn't seem to notice the obvious differences. And his piano! Louisa, it was a gorgeous grand and he played beautifully. I told you that Chris played the cello and I played the violin. I'm so sorry that he gave it up. It must've hurt him to do that. He loved it so much." Carol said.

Louisa giggled a little guiltily and said "He doesn't know it but somehow, someway we're getting a piano. I'd like for him to choose it but I have a feeling that he would either say no or come up with excuses – wait a minute. Who am I talking about? He wouldn't come up with excuses! He'd just say a firm no."

"Yes, he probably would!" Carol said as she giggled too. "But Louisa, the kind of piano he would want will be pricey. Have you considered that?" She stopped abruptly looking guilty. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that." And she fiddled with her tea looking anywhere but at Louisa.

"Carol, don't worry about it. I've already considered that I'll be in for some sticker shock. Would you and Chris go with me to look at some? I don't know good from bad so need guidance. As for money, I've got my retirement that I can draw on plus the income I could get if I rented out my cottage." Louisa said as she smiled encouragingly.

"Of course we'll help! I'll speak to Chris and get back with you. Look at the time! If we're going to do any shopping, we need to get a move on." Carol said as she picked up her purse.

"Can we talk for just another minute or so? I have a question." Louisa looked curious as she spoke.

"Sure. What do you want to know?" Carol answered.

"This is a little embarrassing but…Well, Martin is very experienced in certain…private ways." Louisa couldn't help but blush a little.

Carol nodded knowingly. "I know what you're going to ask. Other female students pursued him mercilessly. I mean his clothes, car, apartment, money, intellect were all very attractive to them. He's always felt that he looked funny, even ridiculous, but he's very distinguished and tall! And definitely _not_ ridiculous! It was very casual and entertaining for him until he met…" She stopped talking and looked uncomfortable.

Louisa finished the sentence for her. "Edith. Until he met Edith. You called her his first girl friend. I remember that you said he proposed to her. She's not what I was curious about. He just knows too much to be a novice so I figured that there must have been other women. I bet it was the same when he was at Imperial. He's just too noticeable! But, I'm the beneficiary so good for him! But he must have been deeply in love with Edith for their break-up to affect him so much."

"That's not all. His parents were in town around that time for something and stayed at his flat for a few days. Of course, Chris stayed with me. I've wondered if that was the reason they were so incredibly rude and dismissive to both of us. Martin was used to them so he just shrugged his shoulders. We stayed away after that first meeting. Anyway, his mother said something that hurt him horribly. I don't know if he would want me to tell you or not." Carol looked doubtfully at Louisa.

"If if will help me understand my husband and why he never mentions his parents and doesn't want them around their grand-son, then please tell me." Louisa said firmly.

Carol made a face of disgust and said, "His father constantly put him down and his mother, the beautiful, sophisticated society lady told him that she never wanted him; that he had ruined her life and her marriage; that she had always been embarrassed at how ugly and clumsy he was; had even tried to miscarry! Between her and Edith, he was quite naturally devastated and, over the years, withdrew more and more. Except with Chris and I. He trusts Chris with his life I think."

Louisa couldn't decide whether to cry with sorrow or curse with anger. So she did both. With tears in her eyes, she gritted out "Those bitches! I'd like to have them within reach right now! I've never been in a fight in my life but I could gladly scratch their eyes out. _Damned_ bitches! How could they do that to a wonderful man like Martin? Oh god!"

Carol shook her head and relied "I don't know and will never understand it. Here, you're ruining your make-up." And handed her a tissue. "Let's go and not think about this anymore today. You should be careful how you bring this up to Martin by the way."

"Oh, I'm not going to bring it up. If he ever wants to tell me about it…he's sure to be too embarrassed to tell anyone about it! I hope he told Leslie."

They paid their bill and walked on to the shops, window shopping, and went to the biggest department store in Truro. They enjoyed trying on clothes and both found new outfits. Louisa needed new trainers so they paid a visit to a sporting goods store. By 6:30, they were at the restaurant and starving. The men met them at the entrance looking askance at the heavy shopping bags.

"Hello Martin. Any trouble with James Henry?" Louisa asked as she stared at those luscious lips, remembering how they felt against hers and burning again with hidden anger that his _mother_ thought he was ugly.

Martin could be completely obtuse at times but he recognized that look and blushed. "Ahem, well, he behaved very well. He thoroughly enjoys sucking his toes."

Carol and Chris kissed and embraced each other much to Martin's discomfort. He would never be comfortable with public displays of affection.

Chris confused Martin by grinning at him and nodding his head. Louisa explained as they walked to their table on the deck. "Martin, they've been waiting for us to ask them to be godparents to James Henry! They couldn't understand why we haven't asked them before. I exonerated you and took all the blame."

Serious Martin shook his head as he corrected her. "No Louisa. We're both at fault." He looked at Chris and Carol as he said "We've been remiss about this. We put our son's well being at risk by allowing ourselves to be distracted with other things. Thank you both for saying yes. I'll get my, er, _our_ lawyer to draw up the papers. Alright?" He sighed and glanced at Louisa and whispered "I'm sorry. I'll get used to saying 'us'."

She patted his thigh and smiled in forgiveness.

Chris and Carol agreed and the waiter came to their table. Dinner started.

They had a lazy, delicious meal. Martin described it as optimal nutrition. No compliment could be better. They lingered over their wine – and water – watching the sunset and enjoying the conversation of good friends.

"It's past time for us to leave. Morwenna and Al will be wanting to go home. By the way, Al is the other godfather. Or will be when we ask him." Martin told them as he pulled Louisa's chair back for her.

"Yes, we should be going, too. The kids do very well on their own for a while but this is long enough." As she spoke, Carol was looking for her purse which had been kicked under the table. "There it is!"

"We've enjoyed this Martin, Louisa. Let's not wait so long next time." Chris said as he motioned with his head for Martin to step aside with him.

The men moved to the side leaving the women to stare at them wondering what was up.

"I just wanted to tell you that the board meeting has been set for next Wednesday. Of course I can't promise how it will go." Chris said in a low voice.

Martin nodded and replied "Of course not. I wouldn't expect you to. But thanks for the help you've already given me. I haven't told you but I appreciate the way you spoke up for me at the last meeting."

They shook hands and rejoined their wives, said goodbye and left. Martin drove Louisa to the car park and they drove off both thinking about what they learned today.

Martin waited at the PortWenn parking area for Louisa and drove her home. James Henry was sound asleep in his crib by the time they got home. Al and Morwenna were playing cards in the kitchen, very clearly enjoying each other's company.

Martin caught Louisa's attention and tipped his head at Al, silently asking if now was a good time to bring up the subject of being a godfather. She shook her head and took the initiative by saying good night to both of them. Martin paid Morwenna a generous amount for taking care of James Henry and to her thanks and goodnight, with his usual grace, he said "Yes." And left the room.

Louisa whispered to Al if they could talk privately with him tomorrow. He grinned and said "Godfather? Of course I will. Wondered when you were going to ask."

She poked his arm, embraced him and kissed his cheek. "You're the best brother a girl could ever have. We'll be in touch. Good night you two and thanks. Be safe walking home."

She saw them to the door, locked up and went upstairs to find Martin in the nursery staring down at their son. For the first time, he had rolled to his side while sleeping. Martin gently tucked the blanket around him and they quietly left the room.

As she started to undress Louisa said "I asked Al if we could speak privately to him and he yes before we even asked. Like Chris and Carol, he's been waiting for us to say something! I told him we'd be in touch. I feel a lot better now for sure."

As was his habit, Martin carefully hung up his suit and answered "As do I! I think we've chosen well. I'll contact Kingdom tomorrow and ask him to start drawing up the paperwork. Did you notice when Chris pulled me aside right before we left the restaurant?"

Louisa mumbled yes through a mouth full of toothpaste.

"He just wanted to tell me about the board meeting next Wednesday and added that he couldn't promise how it would go of course. I assured him that I wouldn't expect him to."

She patted her face dry, added moisturizer and crawled in the bed yawning as she went. He visited the loo, joined her and spooned up against her body and whispered good night. She kissed her fingers and reached across her shoulder to press them against his lips. "Good night my love. Sleep well."

"Good night, Louisa."


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter 44

James Henry woke early Sunday morning and, for a while, his feet kept him entertained. Martin was a light sleeper due to all his years as a doctor and he had a sixth sense when it came to his son. He woke at the first sound from the nursery and lay curled up against Louisa listening to his son's babbling. He eased away from the sleeping form next to him, pulled on his pajama pants, robe and quietly walked to the nursery. The baby saw him and started kicking and waving his arms in greeting. That big toothless grin and then giggles brought a smile to his father's face. It occurred to Martin that he was smiling more than he had in years and it was all due to that precious baby lying in the crib waiting for his morning routine to start. He greeted his son "Good morning, James Henry. Let's be quiet and let Mommy sleep." Martin touched his forehead as usual and his astute sense of smell told him something unpleasant was in the room. "You need a diaper change!"

He changed a sopping wet diaper, managed to clean a squirming baby by being faster than the little legs were. "Come on. I bet you're hungry so let's go eat some cereal and apple sauce. Sh-h-h now, Mommy's still asleep."

He mixed up the cereal, warmed the remaining apple sauce and started the process of feeding the baby. "Be patient! I can't feed it to you any faster. Ok, now a bottle that Mommy fixed for you. Yes, yes I know. Mommy tastes better but you're just going to have to get used to this. That's it. Good, isn't it?"

James Henry chewed on the nipple in protest but was too hungry to make much of an effort and drained the bottle. "You certainly give the impression that the bottle is satisfactory. Please, when I'm winding you, keep what you just consumed in _your_ body and not on _my_ robe." Martin placed him on his shoulder and patted his back. A loud burp ensued and, fortunately, nothing else. "Thank you, James Henry. It appears that our talks concerning manners have taken affect."

Martin took him upstairs, wiped his face and dressed him for the day. "We're going to see Aunt Ruth today. She cooks very strange things, you know. Well maybe they're not strange, it's just the way she cooks. Which is shockingly bad!"

Louisa stirred and called out to Martin. "Come on in, the two of you. I want hugs and kisses from my favorite men before I step foot out of this bed."

Martin took the baby to her and her reward was giggles, grins, kicks and arms waving. And a kiss from Martin.

"Don't forget that we're supposed to be at Aunt Ruth's at 11:00. Have you any idea what she's going to tell us?" Martin said as he prepared to take a shower.

"No, none. She's not exactly secretive, just non-communicative to the extreme. I'll make the coffee while you're in the shower. What do you want for breakfast? I'm having bacon and toast. Want me to fix you a rasher? Just for a treat?" Louisa asked.

"Yes, one rasher, scrambled eggs, toast and coffee sounds perfect." She could barely hear him over the noise of the shower. She pulled on her gown and robe and she and James Henry went downstairs to start the day. He played happily in the playpen while she busied herself preparing breakfast.

Martin came to the table impeccably dressed and so handsome that she had to kiss him. "H-m-m, if we weren't supposed to be at Aunt Ruth's, I'd take you upstairs and have my way with you. You look absolutely delicious!"

Poor Martin, blushed at her praise and the arousal caused by the press of her body against his and that kiss. "Er, yes. I'll just make the coffee while you finish – Louisa, please tie your robe. That garment you're wearing is transparent!"

She giggled and teased him "Thought you liked it. No?" And she swayed a little as she slowly tied the robe.

With a husky voice and eyes narrowed on her body "I'll show you tonight how I feel about it. Now is not the appropriate time." His hand, seemingly of its own volition, slipped inside the robe and stroked that hip and went around to that luscious bum.

She tiptoed and whispered in his ear "I can't wait you lovely man!"

The rashers were rescued just in time, just at the point of being extra crisp. He made coffee while she made toast and the eggs.

Between bites, she asked "Should we take something to share with whatever she's decided to try to cook? At least we'll have something we want to eat!"

"I'll call her and ask if that would be acceptable. I hope she's not going to try fish pie again! I still haven't figured out what she did to the fish to make it tough. Fish is not tough!" He answered with a look of disgust.

"Well, whatever it is, you know we'll eat it and smile. You are _incapable_ of lying so just say your usual h-m-m." She said with a smile. "Now, I'm going to shower and dress. Be back shortly." She blew him a kiss as she left.

He cleaned up the kitchen and sat down to read the latest journal while he waited. James Henry was rolling over and would get stuck against the sides of the playpen. Martin would get up and put him back in the middle. It only took a couple of times for James Henry to figure out that this was a good game. Daddy got clued in when he saw the expectant look on the little distraction's face as he got stuck again. "He's teaching me!" Daddy actually chuckled at that. James Henry grinned and laughed with him. Louisa was at the bottom of the stairs and stopped in amazement when she heard Martin laugh for the first time ever. It was a beautiful, throaty sound. And she found it incredibly sexy. She walked softly into the lounge and stood watching the loves of her life interact so well.

"I suppose that if we teach you, it's only fair for you to teach us. You know, I was once called a miserable bugger by a good friend. You know him, it's Mr. Fenn. This is our secret but no one can call me miserable anymore. I've got your mother and you and a profession that I was born to do. What more can a man ask for?"

Louisa went back to the stairs and spoke as she re-entered the lounge. "You two ready to go? I'll pack the nappy bag if you'll change him. Oh, and put that darling little sailor suit on him. He's so cute in it!"

Martin agreed and soon they were on the way to the farm. He grimaced and said. "I didn't call her. We'll just hope for the best."


	45. Chapter 45

Chapter 45

They arrived at the farm at precisely 11:00. As soon as Martin opened the car door, Buddy jumped out and ran to meet Staggered, barking as he went. The smells coming from the kitchen were encouraging. Ruth met them at the door with her usual "Welcome family. Spot on time as usual. Come in and I'll fix some tea. Hello, baby nephew. My goodness! You're growing so fast and you look astonishingly like your father! Come here and let me get a good hug."

James Henry smiled his most charming toothless smile and she didn't care who knew it but the 'dried up spinster' felt tremendous love and pride for this little edition of her big nephew.

"I'll make the tea while you visit with James Henry. Look at him smile! He certainly knows his Aunt Ruth." Louisa was filling the tea kettle as she spoke.

"How are you doing?" Martin asked as he did his usual visual assessment of her.

"Stop diagnosing me! I'm a doctor, too, you know. Everything with me is very satisfactory. There is, however, something I want to tell the two of you. Louisa, have you found the tea bags? I moved them to that cabinet right above the coffee maker. Seemed to make sense at the time." Ruth, like Martin, got straight to the point.

"Yes, so you told us. Thank you, Louisa. Let's sit down so Ruth can get this over with." Martin folded his hands on the table and they both gave her their full attention.

"I've been offered an executive position at Broadmoor and I plan on accepting it." A short pause in case they offered any remarks. "Thank you for not making negative remarks about this or mentioning my age, both of you. Now, I've tried living here because Joan was sure it would be good for me. Why, I have no idea! I'm just not ready for retirement and writing books isn't fulfilling after a while. I miss my colleagues and the stimulation of working. I don't like chickens, their incessant racket, sheep or digging in the dirt. I want you to remember what I've just said when you hear the rest of what I am going to say. Agreed?" They both looked puzzled but nodded in agreement. She continued "I've been going through Joan's papers and found the ones showing that you paid your ghastly father the money he was demanding from his _sister_ for what he _claimed_ was his part of this place! I'm sure that your equally ghastly mother had something to do with that. But, I digress. As far as I'm concerned, this whole place is yours. Believe me when I tell you that I _do_ _not_ want it and don't need the money I could make by selling it. Now, questions or remarks?"

Louisa kept quiet. This was Martin's family and his decision.

He sat quietly with his hands still folded, then spoke. "Aunt Ruth, I know you well enough to believe that you've given this your full consideration before speaking to us about it. Saying that, I still feel compelled to ask if you are absolutely certain about your decision. This is a very valuable property. And, most importantly, if you hadn't found those papers, would you still feel the same way?"

She looked at him seriously, "Thank you for that nephew. Hey, James Henry! What's the matter? Here Louisa, I think he wants his Mommy." Louisa took the baby and Ruth continued. "But, please believe that I've thought this through and without a doubt mean what I said. And of course the knowledge of your love and devotion to my sister and your aunt affected my decision! But only because it re-enforced my decision. She made her will before you came here to be gp and before you paid your father. I'm quite sure she intended to change it but, you know how we humans are. Well, maybe _you_ don't but we think we'll live forever and put things off accordingly. Now, you can either live here which would be good for the baby – at least I think it would as smelly chickens and ridiculous sheep are supposed to be entertaining – or sell it and buy or build another house. It is yours to do with as you please. I'm sorry, I should say yours and Louisa's as I've included her name on the deed. And here it is."

Martin took the deed, unfolded it slowly and read it before handing it to Louisa. With a softened expression, he said "Thank you Aunt Ruth. My happiest childhood memories are from being here with Auntie Joan and Uncle Phil. I honestly don't how I would've survived those years without the times I spent here with them. Louisa?" He looked questioningly at her.

"I'm overwhelmed by all this. Some of my happiest memories also come from the times I spent here. If I was just a little older, you and I would have met here. Thank you for including me in this Ruth." Louisa had tears in her eyes when she spoke.

"You're welcome. Now, I'm hungry. Hopefully, you'll enjoy this lunch more than you did the last one. After my failed effort even the _thought_ of fish pie makes me ill! But this time, I showed a modicum of intelligence and ordered our lunch from Bert. All I had to do was put it in the oven for thirty-five minutes. It's chicken pie and a salad. And fruit crumble for afters. Stay where you are and I'll serve it." Ruth ordered.

"I can at least get our drinks. Louisa? Alright, water for you and me. And the same for Ruth. Easy enough." Martin set the three glasses of water on the table, got the flatware and napkins and the meal was served.

James Henry knew it was his lunch time so his parents shared that task. Martin fed him cereal and bananas – a new fruit – and Louisa gave him his bottle. Aunt Ruth wanted to wind him and he rewarded her by not spitting up on her. After they all declared the lunch delicious and helped clean the kitchen, Ruth invited them to walk to the cliff overlooking the ocean. "This is the one thing I'll miss about this place - the view. It's magnificent!" There was silence for a few minutes. Martin and Louisa were beginning to realize what had happened and their minds were leaping ahead with a jumble of plans. "I notice that neither of you has asked when I plan on moving. So I'll tell you – in two weeks. I've purchased a small flat close to Broadmoor and it's move in ready. I do have a request though. I want to James Henry to know me. I want to be part of his life and not from afar or from yearly Christmas cards like you and I have done Martin. I regret more than I can tell you that I wasn't aware of your life. How you were treated by your parents. I hope there's always room for me where ever you decide to make your home."

Louisa embraced her and whispered "Of course there will be. Ruth, you're wonderful! Thank you again."

Martin nodded in agreement and echoed Louisa, "Yes, of course."

"Good. Now I know I won't have to stay in a hotel when I come for holidays. Before you leave, I have some information to impart to you concerning the upkeep of this place. Ted has decided to marry. He would like to continue to work this place but needs a larger place to live as he and his future wife plan on having children. The tenant's house is still in very good condition and he would like to fix it up and live there. If you cover the cost that is and agree to continue his current salary. Now, do with that information what you will." Ruth said in her usual brief and dry manner and added with a touch of humor, "And the best part is you get another dog! This is Staggered's home now. Agree?"

Martin just nodded, adding it to the thoughts swirling around in his head. A very unusual condition for the logical and super intelligent man that he had always been. "Thank you Aunt Ruth. Of course, Louisa and I have several things to discuss but will be sure to speak with him before long. Are you ready to go? James Henry is ready for a nap and I have some paperwork to do."

"Yes. Tuesday is the day we interview Rebecca Sims, the sitter, and I promised Caroline I'd feed her cats and check on her plants while she's out of town." Louisa said as she leaned over to retie her trainer.

They turned and slowly made their way back to the house. Martin whistled for Buddy and Louisa got the nappy bag. James Henry was strapped in the car seat and Buddy jumped in next to him. Good byes were said and they left for home.

Martin said dryly, sounding very much like his aunt "Well, that was surprising don't you think?"

"Yes indeed! I can't find the words to describe how I feel. Such generosity! And she loves just as deeply as you do but I don't think anyone would ever guess it. You're so blessed, Martin, just as I am. We both had crap parents but are loved so much by others that it makes what happened to us irrelevant. At least to me it does. Oh bloody hell! I'm going to start crying again." Louisa sniffed and groped around for tissues.

Martin didn't speak until they pulled into the parking area and then only to say "If you'll unlock the door, I'll get James Henry and the nappy bag." Buddy jumped out, checked the perimeter of the house for intruders and resumed his guard duty at the top of the terrace steps. Martin dropped the bag at the bottom of the stairs for Louisa to empty and carried the sleeping baby up to the nursery. He was upstairs so long that Louisa got worried but then she heard his footsteps leave the nursery and go into the loo. She really needed some time to absorb that Ruth had done so went out to the terrace, sat down next to Buddy and looked at the familiar view. So much was happening all at once. The possibility of Martin working in Truro, her tutoring duties, being the ad hoc board member, interviewing Rebecca Sims, James Henry turning four months old the following week end, planning Bert's sixtieth surprise birthday party and now this. If he didn't get the position in Truro, could they afford to do the necessary repairs to the farm house? Maybe she was wrong to quit her job. "What's that old saying? Something to do with twenty twenty hindsight? Maybe I can get a position as a teacher. At least that's some extra income. I'm getting ahead of things. Maybe Martin would rather sell the place, doesn't want to live there. But if we could! That view and the space! The memory of Joan is in every square inch of it. Surely he'll want to live there." She stared at the view without really seeing it, her mind absorbed with today's events.

Martin walked to the loo, washed his hands and stood looking in the mirror with unseeing eyes. He was aware of the repairs needed to the farm house and had a good idea of the cost. It would take a chunk out of their investments but they could afford it. "Of course, if I get the position in Truro, it would be much easier financially. I definitely don't want Louisa to feel as if she should resume working full time because of this. She should follow her plan and return to work when she feels the time is right." He had never thought that someday he could live in the only place he had been happy as a child. There were memories of Aunt Joan and Uncle Phil every where he looked. But what if Louisa preferred to stay in the village, even in this house? The happiness of his family was more important to him than any house or any job. They needed to talk, or rather, he needed her to talk, tell him what she wanted, where she wanted to live.

He went downstairs thinking about something simple they could prepare for dinner. He quietly called for her but got no answer. He noticed the front door was open and saw her on the terrace, walked up next to her and sat down. Buddy acted like he hadn't seen him for days, scampering around and wagging his tail.

"I've been thinking about dinner. There's nothing much to choose from in the refrigerator or cupboard. Any suggestions?" He asked.

She shook her head and continued to look at the view. "No, not right now. Maybe later I'll be hungry and have an inspiration."

They sat, each waiting for the other to speak, both uncomfortable with the silence. Martin hated it. He had gotten accustomed to talking to her. He _enjoyed_ talking to her especially because she didn't indulge in useless chatter or talk when he was reading his bmj's or other medical journals. She realized that they were an important part of his work as a doctor and respected them as such.

"Louisa, can we talk about this development? I'd like to know your thoughts and opinions on something this important." He said.

She turned to look at him and replied "Of course we can. But Martin, please tell me your thoughts first."

"My thoughts are that I want you to be happy with where we live. That's the most important thing to me. You know that, don't you?" He looked so serious and she melted as she always did when he looked at her like that.

"Yes, I know that and I love you so much for saying it. But, I feel the same way. I told you that when you first started talking about doing surgery again. There are a couple of reasons that I want to hear your thoughts first; it's your inheritance even though my name is also on the deed and I can contribute so little financially if you decide to remodel the farm house. I don't think I should've quit my job."

That brought a heavy scowl to his face. "What twaddle! Everything I have or ever hope to have I gladly share with you. The least important thing to me is how much money you _contribute_. That's a very insulting remark!"

She sighed and tried to explain. "I didn't mean to insult you. I feel the same way about you but I hope you understand that I don't want you to carry the whole financial burden of paying for the repairs if you decide that you want to live there. That's all."

"I would be very happy to do so if it were necessary. But it's not. You've contributed to our investments, if you think it would be a wise move, you could sell your cottage and with you taking care of our son, we don't have to pay an exorbitant salary for a child minder. I haven't changed my mind about that, you know. When you first decided to give up your job, I said that we're the first and best care takers and teachers for James Henry. Every time I think about a stranger taking of him I feel such dread. I know you would choose a trust worthy person but I'm just not comfortable with the idea."

She felt tears forming again. He could be so gruff and rude sometimes. Then show so such tenderness. She was the luckiest woman in the world to be married to this complex man. "Thank you for saying that. You asked me what I want to do. Ok, I want to live at the farm. The memories are wonderful but they're not the only reason. The space! The views! Think about our children growing up there. It would please me very much to make it our home. Now, your turn. What would you want to do if I weren't involved? If it was just you?"

He let out a sigh of relief and broke his rule of no public displays of affection by gently turning her face to his and kissing her lips. Before he could answer, James Henry let them know his nap was over and he needed attention. Both smiling they went upstairs together to care for their son. Half way up she suddenly made her decision. "Take out. Fish and chips from Mrs. Cronk. I'll go pick it up while you take care of His Highness. Deal?"

"Yes to fish and chips and yes to taking care of our son." He kissed her again and pulled out his wallet. "Hurry back. We have more talking to do. Can you believe it? That I want to talk?"

She laughed in delight, "You made a joke! Martin James Ellingham, you made a joke!" She turned to go back downstairs. "And it was a good one. Be back as soon as I can."

James Henry stopped wailing for attention as soon as he heard footsteps. He was watching the door and grinned hugely when he saw his father.

"Sometime I'd like to come in here after you've had a nap and not smell your noxious nappy!" Once again he had to capture those kicking legs before he could clean a messy bottom. "Now, you're clean and smell acceptable again. Hungry? Let's go fix your dinner."

He was spooning cereal and apple sauce into a hungry little mouth when Louisa carried in their dinner. "I wasn't hungry until I smelled it. Let me finish feeding him while you eat. I'll eat after he's through and you can finish what you were going to say."

"I'm not all that hungry so I'd rather feed him while you eat. But I would like a cup of tea, please." He said and James Henry grinned at his Mommy between bites.

"Ok, I'm starving! Excitement I guess." And she put the kettle on and got cups and tea bags out. "Now talk!"

"It's simple, I agree with you. I _never_ thought I'd have the opportunity to live there! I don't want to change it too much, you know. Leave it old fashioned and, as Auntie Joan used to say, homey. Not so fine that we would worry about children and their play. The kitchen and bathroom definitely need updating, the plumbing and wiring and the boiler. I'd like to rethink the boiler. Maybe switch to another system. And add another bathroom. It's difficult with just one." James Henry had to remind his father that his main task was to keep putting food in his mouth. Martin would come out of his reverie and put another spoonful into that grinning little mouth.

"The house would be warmer if we replaced those leaky old windows. They have a beautiful patina and appearance but provide no insulation at all. Do you want the floors to be refinished or just treat them with Tung oil to add luster?"

James Henry finished his cereal and started on a bottle. "There's a local company who uses Bona Deep Clean System. They do a lovely job on wood floors. Let's check them out before we make a decision. I agree about the windows but I think we need a contractor. The house has no insulation and the attic has a lot of potential for extra space. I'd like to add a terrace, too. Can you start a list of the ideas we have? We can add more as they occur to us. And, do we want Ted to continue to work the farm? How would that benefit us?"

Louisa sat his tea cup on the table and started eating. "I don't know. And if he makes money from running the farm, then what's a good salary? Do you want to sell this place and rent an office or keep this as your surgery? That is if you don't work in Truro? And the furniture. Some of it is quite beautiful. The bed you and I slept in as children is still there. We must keep it and he (pointing to the baby) will sleep in it someday! Wow! We have a lot to think about. Let me wind him while you eat. It's very good and Mrs. Cronk's fish is never too greasy. I like her very much. And Peter is still my favorite student even though I'm not supposed to have favorites."

"Yes, he's an outstanding young man. And so is June Tregar"

"Don't you mean Jane Tregaskis?" Louisa said with a smile.

"Yes, June. I got an email from her last week. She's happy and excelling in her studies. She wants to be a neurosurgeon. She's certainly smart enough and is mature well beyond her years. I assured her that if she needs any help, we're available."

She smiled at him and shook her head in wonder. This gruff, rude man was so different than he appeared.

They went about their evening routine and seemingly out of the blue, one of them would think of something they thought needed doing with the farm house.

"I know we don't want to change much but the wallpaper in the dining room and lounge is dreadful! I hope you agree to change it." Louisa

"The chimneys need sweeping, I'm sure. Gas logs are something to think about." Martin

"I don't think Joan bought new mattresses for years. Of course, we use your bed set for our room. Right?" Louisa

"There's a storage room on the other side of the dining room wall. It could be used as an equipment room. You know, boiler or whatever heating system we decide to use, hot water heater, pressure tank for the well (which needs to be checked) and extra storage space." Martin

And on it went until bed time. Martin turned to her "Remember this morning? I said I'd show you how much I like your gown? Here's how much." He teased with his tongue and hands, whispering how beautiful she was until she groaned and pulled him to her, pushing her hips against his. Quick and fulfilling.

She lay against him, sated and happy. "Remind me to wear that gown for breakfast at least four times a week! Please?"

Drowsy and pleased with himself, he replied "Absolutely! Good night my beautiful, desirable wife."


	46. Rewrite of Auntie Joan

**Rewrite of Auntie Joan's funeral**

 **I changed my mind and will rewrite the funeral.**

Martin was notified that the funeral home had picked up the body. "The body. How did his Auntie Joan become 'the body'? It seemed obscene somehow." He was informed that Mrs. Norton had already paid for her funeral and casket. All Martin had to do was make arrangements for the actual burial. She wanted the service to be held in the chapel at St Peter's Church where she had married Phil. Bert and several of her friends asked to speak at the funeral and Martin agreed. Everyone had pretty much the same things to say; she was such a vital part of the community, always there to help where ever or when ever needed, so friendly, so supportive, such a character. Martin sat stoically in the front pew with his family. Neither he nor Ruth cried or joined in singing the hymns. People all around them were sniffling and crying until Louisa stood up. "I'd like to add my memories to all of yours. Joan Norton helped Bert and Mary raise me. She was always there for me. Helped clothe me, had a room at the farm that she said was my special room, advised me, laughed with me, loved me. I'll miss her every day for the rest of my life. But, even more than that, I'll always regret that our son, James Henry, will never know how much she loved him, will never hear her laugh or eat one of her chicken casseroles. She's left a big hole in our lives but she would _not_ want us to be sad but be glad that we knew her. Good bye Joan Norton. I'll miss you." Her voice was choked with tears during the last few words. She sat down close to Martin and rested her forehead on his shoulder. Martin still sat expressionless and a lot of people were thinking what a tosser he was. Didn't shed a tear! But they appreciated Louisa's comments and nodded their heads in agreement.

Bert stood up and closed with "I don't think anyone can improve on that. Good bye Joan Norton, we'll miss you."

People lined up to shake Martin's and Ruth's hand but one look at the warning scowl on his face made them turn away. He had gotten permission from the town council to bury Joan on her farm, on the cliff overlooking the sea. He and Ruth ordered a simple headstone with just her name, dates of birth and death. Most people attended the burial service, walked around talking about how beautiful it was and how happy she would be if she knew it.

Bert handled the wake at his restaurant. Martin asked Louisa is she would make the arrangements. He would not be attending.

Louisa questioned that. "Why won't you attend, Martin? That's the last thing you can do for her. People will…" And she stopped. Martin didn't care what people thought and she had no right to push him into attending.

"Because she's not there. She's not in that hole in the ground. She's gone and I have to accept that." And that was that. He stayed at the surgery reading the latest lancet. What he felt, he kept to himself. Bert and Louisa planned a menu of finger foods, lemonade and ale. Simple but nice. She attended and took James Henry with her. Ruth joined them and they all left together shortly thereafter.

 **This ends my rewrite. Hope it's an acceptable version.**


	47. Chapter 47

Chapter 47

They started Monday with their usual routine. It was Martin's turn to go to the gym while Louisa stayed with James Henry. Usually the only reasons he cried were hunger and to let them know he was awake. This morning was different. He fussed while Louisa changed his nappy, refused to eat his cereal and fruit and gummed the nipple on his bottle but wouldn't nurse. She had little experience in dealing with sick babies and waited anxiously for Martin to come home. She patted, rocked, walked the floor and tried singing but nothing worked. He was a very unhappy baby. By the time Martin walked through the door, James Henry was crying and stiffening his little body with each wail. Louisa met him at the door, telling him what the morning had been like. He placed his fingers against the baby's forehead as usual but this time it felt warm to his touch. "Here Louisa, bring him to the exam couch and lay him down. I'll take his temperature."

James Henry's cries doubled in volume and tears ran down the sides of his face. "He has a slight fever. Maybe…" Martin felt his gums and said "Teething. He's cutting teeth. Feels like the upper and lower incisors. *Four teeth! No wonder he's uncomfortable." He rubbed the sore gums with his forefinger and James Henry stopped crying so he could concentrate on biting down on whatever was in his mouth. It evidently felt good because he kept chewing. "Louisa, get two clean flannels, wet them and put them in the freezer in a plastic bag. Let him chew on them for some relief, alternating them as necessary. Cold applesauce may be appealing to him. Then call his pediatrician and ask what we can give him if we feel it's really necessary. Usually, it's acetaminophen."

"Ok. What else can I expect from him?" She asked as she softly stroked his head.

"Drooling, irritability, possibly a runny nose. I'll call Morwenna and ask her to stop by Mrs. Tishell's and pick up a teething ring. Come here James Henry, this won't last too long." He patted that little body and James Henry rubbed his face and ears against his Daddy's shoulder, whimpering and snuffling. "Here, hold him while I go call Morwenna and take a shower. I'm sorry you have to deal with this by yourself. Cuddles and tenderness help as much as anything."

"I'm ok. All parents have to go through this eventually." She answered and let the baby chew on her finger. "I'll put the wet flannels in the freezer and try him on some apple sauce. It's already cold."

He called Morwenna, rushed upstairs, hurriedly shaved, brushed, showered, dressed and ran back downstairs to find James Henry still whimpering and chewing on his Mommy's finger. "He wouldn't even try the applesauce and the flannels aren't cold yet. He seems to like my finger though. I couldn't start breakfast but this won't be the first time you've had to eat cold cereal."

"Don't worry about it. I'll make coffee and scramble some eggs. I have time. Morwenna will bring the teething ring and that may help, too. Hopefully, this will be quick. These teeth are supposed to be easy because of their shape. Molars are worse. Poor little chap."

He scrambled the eggs, made toast, juice and coffee and insisted on holding the baby while she ate. He chewed on his Daddy's little finger while Martin gently rocked him. "I wish I could take this pain from you. I'm sure Mommy does, too." He whispered.

He ate cold eggs and toast and carried his coffee to the consultation room yelling "Send in the first patient!" as he went.

He had an outstanding ability to compartmentalize his thoughts so that he could deal with his patients and worry about Louisa and James Henry at the same time. She winced when she heard him through the wall separating the lounge and the consulting room tell a patient "If you had even the most _basic_ intelligence, you would do as you're _instructed_ and take the full course of antibiotics! Shouldn't that be your first clue as to why you're not feeling better? Don't come back until you finish _all_ your prescription you bloody idiot! " She heard faint mumblings and then "Shut up! Go home and either do as I say or just continue to suffer!" Then the door opened and "Next patient!"

"Well, that sounds like a potential pint winner tonight! Wonder who it was this time? Oh, my baby! I'm waiting for the doctor to call back. Maybe we can give you something to make you feel better. Here, try this again." And she offered him the cold washcloth again. "Oh, you like my finger better? Chew all you want." She continued to walk a track around the lounge and kitchen, offering comfort to her little suffering baby. "I feel something. That's a tooth! Your first tooth! I'll text Daddy and let him know."

Martin was examining his third patient with the same symptoms; nausea and vomiting, abdominal cramping, fever or, what his patients called, the lurkey. The common factor was that they had all eaten at one of the finer restaurants in PortWenn on Saturday for lunch. He had Morwenna reschedule his next appointment and walked to the restaurant to check out the premises and talk to the manager.

"Hi'ya Doc. Can I show you to a table? Good special today. Really fresh, just caught this morning." Vernon Clontz, the manager greeted him. He was a tall man with a lanky build, thinning hair and a friendly manner.

As usual, Martin offered no greeting or acknowledgement that the man even spoke. "I've examined three people this morning who show signs of food poisoning, Campylobacter Infection to be exact. It can be transmitted…"

"I know what it is. You're here because you think they got it here. Well, we need to find out who waited on them and what they had to eat. That'll narrow it down." Mr. Clontz interrupted him.

"I already know what they had to eat. I have the information here. They all ate lunch here Saturday and were waited on by a young, slight male with reddish hair. They had Scotch Eggs and fresh salads." Martin indicated the paper in his hand as he answered.

"The waiter's name is Timothy Glowbrenn. Nice young man working his way through Truro and Penwith College. Wants to be a bio-engineer. He's in the break room eating lunch. Let's go talk to him." Vernon led the way to the break room. "Tim, please clock back in. Doc Martin and I need to talk to you."

Looking confused, Tim jumped up, clocked in and asked, "Sure. Is anything wrong?"

Martin waited for Vernon to speak "Yes, it appears that three customers you waited on Saturday for lunch have developed food poisoning. The doc has some questions for you." He motioned for Martin and Tim to sit down.

"All three had Scotch Eggs and salad but we need to eliminate you as a possible source of the infection." Tim nodded and Martin continued. "Have you traveled out of the country recently? Are you around any animals, take care of them or clean up after them? Do you practice good hand washing hygiene when you're on duty here?" To all the questions, Tim's answers indicated that he wasn't the source of the infection. Martin stood and abruptly left the room, leaving Tim confused and apprehensive.

"You did fine, Tim. We're going to have to look further for an explanation. Take an extra quarter of an hour for your lunch and thank you." Vernon said before he left the room, following Martin.

They entered the spotless kitchen and Martin questioned him. "Mr. Clontz, were the eggs prepared here and, if so, where do you buy your eggs?"

"Yes. We buy them locally from a farm close to where your Aunt lived. They're organic and from free range chickens."

"Can you show me where they're stored?" Martin asked, still looking around the kitchen.

"Yes, in the walk-in cooler over there." Mr Clontz opened the cooler door so Martin could inspect it. The desired temperature for storing food was spot on.

"Where do you buy your meats?" And Martin was shown a different cooler where meats were stored. It, too, was spotless and the temperature was perfect.

"We had to use a new supplier Saturday. Our usual one was closed because they lost power and their meat spoiled. They'll be back up and running fine in a couple of days." Mr. Vernon answered with a frown on his face. "Young couple, new to the business, small farm. We were shown all the appropriate licenses and paperwork."

"That could be the source. I'll call the health inspector and have them and the other farm checked out. In the mean time, take Scotch Eggs off your menu and wash your salad makings thoroughly." Martin ordered.

"Yes, yes of course I will. This is very upsetting for me. We pride ourselves on our cleanliness and the freshness of our food. Please tell me if there's anything else I should do." Mr. Clontz asked.

"One thing I forgot to mention, they all had rosehip water to drink. Where do you keep that?" Martin stopped to ask.

"In the bar right over there. It's a new product. That's it! We served it for the first time on Saturday. Not many people ordered it so I haven't bought any more. Here's an open bottle. Can you test it?" Mr. Clontz asked eagerly.

"I can send it off and ask for a priority test. I don't need to tell you not to serve this or any other drinks from this vendor. Right?" Martin scowled as he asked.

"Of course not! I'm not an idiot you know! I'll take it away right now. And before you tell me, no, I won't dispose of it until I'm told that I can." Mr. Clontz answered irritably.

Martin nodded and left with the bottle. Mr. Clontz thanked the heavens that there were no customers in the restaurant because the Doc made no attempt to keep his voice down. Tosser!

"Morwenna, send this off for priority testing. Tell them it's a likely source of food poisoning. Now, I'm going to lunch."

He walked into the lounge, his mind back on his family. Louisa was on the phone, and from her conversation, he knew she was talking to the doctor.

"Yes, that would be helpful. He's cut the left upper incisor but is still trying to cut three more. He's very uncomfortable and has had nothing to drink or eat since last night at 9:00. Can you fax the prescription to our chemist? Yes, it's Mrs. Tishell. Good . My husband will get it right away. Thank you for calling. Yes, you have a good day, too." Louisa struggled to keep the phone on her shoulder, hold a squirming and unhappy baby and let him chew on her finger all at the same time. "Phew! Thank goodness he's calling in a prescription for baby acetaminophen. The doctor's worried that he's not had any liquids since last night. Here, take him please. I really need to go to the loo!"

Martin held him up so that he could visually examine him. The little face was blotchy from the crying and whimpering he had been doing all morning. Martin got one of the cold flannels and sat down on the sofa. He offered the flannel and it was rejected as was the teething ring. "You just like fingers and I feel that tooth." James Henry gnawed that finger and watched his father's face. Martin knew the baby liked the sound of his voice so said the first thing that came in his head. A poem by Tennyson that he had memorized years ago – 'The Blackbird'. James Henry was tired, sleepy and in pain but the sound of his father's voice was always soothing and he stopped whimpering. Louisa came back downstairs, assessed the situation and whispered that she would go to Mrs. Tishell's and order lunch from Bert's. He nodded in agreement and continued to recite the poem. James Henry drifted into a fitful nap, still working on that finger. Martin finished the poem and repeated a lecture a professor had given on bleeding stomach ulcers in one of his classes in med school. He heard the door open and Bert tiptoed into the room. "Oh, the poor ansome cheel! Bless 'im. Is there anythin' I can do? No? Well, lunch is on the table. Pay me next time you see me or Al. Later then." And he tiptoed out.

James Henry jerked awake, crying angrily. He shook his head back and forth still biting Martin's finger. Louisa walked in holding up the prescription. She filled the dropper with the correct dose and Martin offered it to the baby to chew on, slowly letting it drip into his mouth and watching to make sure it was swallowed. "It should take effect shortly. Perhaps you should prepare a bottle for him. He might take it when his gums aren't hurting." And he offered his finger again. "I feel another tooth! It's on the bottom. Two more to go young man and you can rest."

A few minutes later, chewing turn into trying to nurse. Martin offered the bottle and it was eagerly accepted. An empty bottle and sleep.

"Thank god for modern medicine. Do you think you can lay him in the play pen. You should eat lunch now. You're due back in surgery in fifteen minutes. Tea or espresso?" Louisa asked as she watched him gently lay the sleeping baby in the play pen.

"Tea, I think. Have you noticed that when Bert is upset, he has more of an accent? He brought our lunch and looked anxious. I'll call and reassure him when I get a break. This sandwich is very good. And includes a side of sliced fresh vegetables with balsamic vinegar dressing. We owe for lunch, by the way." He finished eating, ran upstairs to brush his teeth and, after checking on the sleeping baby, went back to work. "Next patient please." Was the familiar sound.

James Henry had a much better afternoon than his morning. He still wanted cuddling but ate his cereal and fruit and later, another bottle. Chewing on Mommy's finger brought relief so she spent her afternoon with it in his mouth.

The rest of Martin's day was spent treating various unremarkable maladies. He was glad to see it end. Morwenna closed the surgery, walked softly into the lounge to check on James Henry and locked the front door behind her when she left. He wrote notes on the patients he'd seen, filed them and irritably checked the fax machine for the lab report. "Imbeciles! We asked for priority testing." He called Mr. Clontz to keep him informed and gave assurance that as soon as the results came in, he would be told.

James Henry was napping again after eating and nursing. Louisa could feel the third tooth. "Thank goodness they've come so fast. Do you think they'll all hurt him this much?"

"There's no way to tell but we can certainly hope not. Neither of us went shopping today so there's still nothing for dinner. How about I go to the market and get lamb. Or chicken? What would you like to have?"

"You need a good meal more than I do. You've worked all day so you decide what we eat." Was her response.

"Nonsense! What do you call what you've been doing? Does vegetable soup sound ok? Or soft boiled eggs with soldiers? Tell me." He coaxed her.

"Ok, I'd like grilled lamb chops, roasted asparagus and new potatoes. Does that sound good to you?" She queried.

He nodded and said "I'll be back as soon as I can. Does he need any more fruit or cereal? No? All right." And he left.

"Daddy takes such good care of us. Did you know that? You have a wonderful Daddy and we are so lucky. I feel something. Good job! The fourth tooth! You've done it. Wonderful baby!" He felt well enough to give a small grin then yawned right after. He was one very tired baby.

*I've said that I've modeled James Henry after my sons. They both had four teeth when they were four months old. The oldest one had a runny nose, fever and slight diarrhea. The youngest one had no problems.


	48. Chapter 48

Chapter 48

The next morning, James Henry woke in his usual good humor. Martin, warm and comfortable, listened to the happy noises coming from the nursery and sighed with contentment. He woke when Louisa got up and left for the leisure center and, unable to go back to sleep, had been reading the latest lancet. He go up, paid a much needed trip to the loo, put on his robe and house shoes and went to the nursery. James Henry heard footsteps, turned his head, grinned hugely and pulled his feet up to his chin when he saw his father. "Good Morning! I smell that you need a clean nappy. If you continue to eat properly, you will continue to have good bowel movements. That's very important for keeping a healthy body." He continued to talk about bodily functions while he changed and cleaned the baby. "Ready for breakfast?"

He placed the baby in his carryall, made cereal and bananas and James Henry eagerly ate all of it and started fussing for his bottle. "Please be patient. I'll have it prepared in just another minute. I think you're making up for yesterday. Here you go. You're certainly enjoying it. I hear Mommy coming. Smile big for her, ok?"

"Good morning! You look happy today!" She nuzzled the baby's head and he grinned for her. "Such a good boy. Mornin' lovely man! Our little boy is back to normal thank goodness. Espresso?"

"Yes, thank you, when I come back downstairs. He ate a good portion of cereal and fruit and immediately demanded a bottle. I wish I had time to bathe him but as soon as he finishes nursing, I'm going to take a shower. We're booked solid today and I want to pay a visit to Miss. Sawls. I'll go when we close for lunch. Could you fix a sandwich for me to eat on the way? I'll take a bottle of water with me."

"Of course I will. I know you don't talk about your patients but is she ok? She's been my friend for years so naturally I'm concerned for her."

"Yes, she's fine. I just want to see how her PT is coming along. I'm going upstairs now." He answered and handed her James Henry. "He needs winding." And disappeared under the stairs.

She called after him, "Don't forget we talk to Mrs. Sims tonight." When James Henry produced a good burp, she laid him in the playpen with his new rattle and started breakfast.

Martin reappeared immaculately dressed as usual and sat down to eat his favorite breakfast; soft boiled egg, soldiers, fresh fruit and espresso. "Thank you, Louisa. I'll see you when we close for lunch." Kissed her, felt the baby's forehead and left for work. Louisa heard Morwenna come in the front door and their day started.

After she bathed and put the baby down for his mid-morning nap, she spent the rest of the morning emailing the other members of the school board regarding finding funds for two new computers for the library. Sometimes she felt like she was still the Head Teacher, begging for more money every day. Finally, two of the members who ran businesses in the village said they might be able to find some computers and another one said she could donate a new printer. So far, so good. She looked at the clock and saw that Martin would break for lunch soon. Cucumber and low fat cream cheese sandwiches on the last of the bread, an apple and a handful of almonds each for their lunch should be healthy enough. He came through in a rush, grabbed his lunch and water, grunted and left. When Al picked up Morwenna for lunch, he looked in to say hello and present the baby with a gift – a teddy bear. James Henry reached for it and Al watched as those little fingers tried to grasp the toy. "Hey, Louisa! Everything going ok?"

She walked over to him and they embraced. "Yes, little brother, everything is wonderful! Wait just a second and let me get the money to pay for lunch yesterday. We enjoyed it very much. Here you go and we added a delivery fee. Now, when do we start planning the surprise birthday party for Bert?"

"Why not let Morwenna and meI handle it? You've got so much on your plate already. And, don't worry, we'll run any plans by you. Ok?"

"Yes! That's so helpful. Thanks to both of you. And remember, if you want, you can have it here. See you later and give Bert my love." Louisa answered.

"I will. Love you." And he and Morwenna left.

When naptime was over she, James Henry and Buddy went to the village and stopped in to see Grandpa Bert. Buddy wagged his tail and barked hello attracting the baby's attention. He tried to lean forward with his hands outstretched. Buddy put his front legs on the stroller and lowered his head within reach of those hands.

Bert greeted them happily. "Hey, hello my lovely! Now that's a friendship for sure." He picked up the smiling baby and exclaimed. " Four new teeth! You sure don't do things half-way, do ye? Proper job!" He and Louisa chatted until customers came in. She kissed his cheek and left for the fish market and found some lovely tuna steaks for dinner. Brushed lightly with olive oil, sprinkled with fresh tarragon and cracked black pepper and seared in a heavy skillet was Martin's favorite method of cooking tuna steak . Baked winter squash, creamed parsnips, sautéed spinach with mushrooms and great fruit sections rounded out her menu. James Henry had another bottle and then afternoon nap time. Good time to do laundry and sort her paperwork. Caroline called and invited her to a girl's night out Friday evening when she got back from her trip. "Yes, I'd love to join you. I'll check with Martin and make sure he can take care of James Henry." They talked, gossiped and laughed until she heard cries from the nursery. "Got to go. My little Prince is calling me. I'll be in touch about Friday." And she climbed the stairs calling to him as she went. She spent an hour being his playmate and teacher. She read a brightly colored book with shapes, letters and numbers. His favorite book had pictures of common animals that he would see around the village. He patted the pages as his Mommy counted them, mooed, barked, meowed and so on and said what colors they were. He especially liked when she barked and giggled in appreciation. She sang to him and played music. He was fascinated with her face and voice and she was secretly convinced that he was singing along with her. She had no idea how much he was absorbing but felt that it was a great bonding time for them. Then, he spent time in the playpen practicing rolling over and doing mini push-ups and she started to prepare dinner.

Martin returned from his visit to Miss Sawls. The PT was helping her build up her strength, her balance was better and her joints were much less swollen. All in all, he was very pleased with her progress.

He saw his last patient and Morwenna closed the surgery. James Henry saw his father and wiggled his whole body in excitement, a huge grin on his face. Martin looked at the messy lounge and sighed, remembering his spotless home when he lived alone. No doubt at all which he would rather have now – family definitely. James Henry started demanding attention so he picked him up and felt his forehead as usual. The baby buried his face in his father's neck and Martin rubbed his cheek against that little head. "Hello, James Henry. I trust you've behaved yourself today. You certainly look as if you're well rested. It smells like Mommy's cooking something good for dinner. Are you hungry yet? Good evening Louisa. Dinner smells appetizing.

"It's one of your favorites and some good veggies, too." She tiptoed and kissed his cheek, grinning at him and said "You look good enough to eat yourself. It should be ready in about fifteen minutes."

"I have few minutes then. Let's sit down and have a talk." He sat in a kitchen chair, sat James Henry on the edge of the table so they could look at each other. "Now, I'm on call this week-end. A doctor must never refuse care to someone who needs it so, if I'm called out, Mommy will take very good care of you and I'll come back as quickly as possible. Let me feel your new teeth, ok? Hm-m, coming through nicely. And sharp!" He watched her move around the kitchen and remembered when they first started cooking together. She had admitted that the best she could offer was a quick fry up. What a difference! She now cooked with flare and imagination. Sometimes with a little too much imagination like the pasties made with tofu. "Alright James Henry, you go back in your playpen and I'll wash my hands. We've talked several times about hygiene so I must practice what I preach." He washed his hands and asked "What are you drinking, Louisa? Water? I'll get it and set the table. That smells delicious."

"Thank you. I was craving parsnips and these looked so fresh. I creamed them with low fat yogurt and chicken broth. Oh, and added just a touch of garlic. They taste scrumptious!"

They ate with their usual table decoration cooing and babbling. "Not many people have a moving, talking center piece, you know. And such a handsome one at that!" Louisa said as she gently squeezed his foot. "Mrs. Sims will be here shortly. I hope this goes well. I'd like to get on with my other plans."

Martin frowned and grunted, still not comfortable with leaving their son with basically a stranger.

Louisa heard that grunt and placed her hand on his arm as she said "Stop frowning! I'm counting on you to be polite. It'll be easier to judge her qualities if she's relaxed. And, we don't have to make a decision tonight, you know."

They heard a knock and Louisa went to the door and invited Mrs. Sims in. Martin assessed her appearance and gave a mental nod of approval. She was dressed in clean, pressed casual clothes. Her graying hair was shining and simply styled, moderate and well applied make-up and simple, tasteful jewelry. Very good so far.

"Come in. We've met before but do you know my husband, Dr. Martin Ellingham? Martin, this is Rebecca Sims." Martin nodded and she continued. "Would you like some tea or coffee? Ok, I'll put the kettle on while Martin shows you to the lounge. I'll bring the baby in a minute."

Martin held out his hand to show her to the lounge "Come this way, please." His impeccable manners were evident to her when he showed her to a seat before returning to the kitchen to help Louisa with the tea tray. She sat next to Mrs. Sims so they could judge how the reason for the meeting reacted to her. Martin served the tea and with his usual abruptness, he said "Louisa tells me you brought up five children and ran a shop at the same time. Laudatory, I'm sure. Have you had any first aid training? If not, would you be willing to take a course tailored for infants?"

"Yes, I've had first aid training but not specifically for babies. And yes, I think that course would be very beneficial even I weren't thinking about caring for your baby."

"You realize that you'll only be needed for a few hours a week? Is that satisfactory?"

"Yes. I'm not doing this for the money and I have a large circle of friends and many hobbies. I think having grandchildren that live so far away and I get to see so seldom makes me miss caring for children. I'd be an 'on call' baby minder if they lived close to me. I work in the nursery at church every Sunday and love it!"

"Do we have your assurance that you don't have any contagious diseases? And that you practice proper hygiene?" He asked.

Louisa sat in stunned silence hoping that Mrs. Sims wouldn't storm out of the room in shocked indignation.

Instead, she smiled and replied "I've heard about your bluntness. My husband was much like you. Remember Louisa?" Louisa nodded weakly and she continued. "Yes, I can assure you that I'm as healthy as a woman of my age can be. And I practice scrupulous hygiene. I had to since I prepared the food that we sold. You're welcome to examine me, especially since I'm overdue having a physical."

Martin just sat looking at her with a faint frown on his face and offered no comment.

Louisa breathed a sigh of relief and asked "Would you be willing to spend some time with James Henry and me to become acquainted with our routine?" James Henry had been watching this strange person and, in his baby judgment, decided that he would be friends with her. He offered her a grin and she returned it.

"Yes, of course I will." She turned to speak to Martin, "And, I assume that you'll be here most of the time in case I need something."

Martin nodded and continued to observe her. Her shoes were comfortable and polished. Her fingernails were short and clean. Very good.

She turned to James Henry and said "Would you let me hold you? Oh, you're a big boy and look so much like your father." She held him on her knees and he stared at her just like his father was doing. She gently bounced him up and down and he giggled happily. They were friends.

"Louisa, may I see you in the kitchen for a moment? Mrs. Sims, please excuse us."

He led Louisa to the kitchen and stood so that he could keep an eye on his son. "So far, she's acceptable. Do you agree that we not make a decision until she spends some time with you and James Henry? And that we tell her that?"

"Yes, and I'd go further - she's more than acceptable, she's perfect. But, we'll do it your way." And they returned to the lounge.

Martin spoke as he returned to his seat. "Mrs. Sims, we'd like to make our decision after you spend some time here. And, if you're really past due for your physical, call and make an appointment. That's something that shouldn't be neglected."

"You're right. Especially at my age. I'm overdue for my mammogram, too. I'll schedule that as soon as I can get an appointment. And, I should make clear, I'm _thinking_ about doing this. As I said, lots of friends and lots of hobbies. I'll make _my_ decision after I spend some time here.

Louisa looked stunned at that statement. Wasn't this a job interview? Yes, but not a typical one, that's for sure! Martin looked pleased. "That's acceptable. We both have to be satisfied with and committed to the arrangement. You and Louisa can discuss the dates. Now excuse me. I have some work to do."

Louisa took the baby and Mrs. Sims stood to offer her hand to Martin. He said "Yes." And strode out of the room.

Mrs. Sims laughed and waggled her hand like a dead fish. "He's a right charmer, ain't he? Just like my Dickie."

Louisa laughed with her and offered more tea.

"No thanks, I have a club meeting shortly. We're talking about starting a quilting guild and will sister with one in America. A little town call Summerfield, NC has a guild that we've been in touch with. We'll be looking for members, if you're interested that is. Good, productive hobby."

"Mary made quilts and taught me a little about it. I'll give it some serious thought. Now, what day is convenient with you next week?" Louisa asked.

"How about Tuesday? I'd like to be here for his breakfast routine first and then lunch and nap time later. Oh, and please call me Rebecca." Mrs. Sims said as she prepared to walk out of the lounge.

"Ok, Rebecca. Tuesday morning at 8:00 will be fine. I look forward to seeing you then." And Louisa showed her out the back door. About two steps later, she ran out the door saying "Wait! We didn't discuss your pay."

Rebecca just waved and mouthed "Later." And kept walking.


	49. Chapter 49

Chapter 49

She went to the consulting room and found Martin staring out the window obviously deep in thought. "Martin? Martin, do you need privacy or can we talk?"

He shook his head slightly and answered "Yes, of course. We haven't mentioned the farm, Truro or what we do with this place. Where's your list? Tomorrow we start checking out contractors. No, I'll start right now. I'll bring my laptop to the kitchen and make some tea. We can look together."

"You get the laptop and James Henry and I will make the tea. Come on table decoration. Let's go to the kitchen and you can help me by playing in your play pen." As soon as she was out of sight, her expression turned to one of anxiety. So much to think about. Martin didn't have time to deal with contractors and …" and just then she heard his cell phone rang.

"Ellingham. Yes, where? Is she in a safe place? I'll be there as quickly as I can." He grabbed his bag, started to explain to Louisa but she shook her head and waved him off. "Be careful and we'll see you later."

He ran to his car and drove quickly to a small house on the edge of Bodmin Moor. He turned off his lights and coasted down the long driveway. He quietly opened the car door and could hear a man shouting curses and threats. Then gun shots. He wasn't a brave man but had never failed to take whatever action necessary to provide care to who ever needed it. Repelling down cliffs, climbing through barn lofts, slogging through pig pens, breaking windows, jumping into the sea, even facing down a man with a knife. But he had never dealt with anyone with a gun. There was an injured woman somewhere ahead of him. How badly hurt he didn't know but he knew that he had to get to her. He passed Penhale's car, kept in the shadows and made his way around the house. And came face to face with the gun. A memory flashed through his mind of something a colleague had said when describing nearly getting hit by a lorry – first you say it, then you do it! Now he understood what the saying meant. "Shit!" He recognized the man as someone he had seen in the village a few times. He had noticed that the man looked confused and agitated. He had tried to speak to him but the man used his hand to make a rude gesture and walked away. Martin was startled but the man, completely caught off guard, lurched back and fired the gun, shooting himself in the foot. He screamed with pain and started sobbing and said with a slurred voice. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt her. It was the noise, the noise…"

Penhale came running toward them with his taser out. "You idiot! Have you ever had any training on how to safely use that thing? Give it to me at once and go sit in that chair. NOW!" Martin gingerly took the weapon and held the man's arm as the hobbled to the chair. "Now, stay there while I check on your wife then I'll take care of you."

Joe kept the taser pointed in the man's direction and said "She's in the shed back that way. Hold your hands out sir. You do as the Doc said and stay where you are." And he snapped the handcuffs in place.

The man continued to sob and say he was sorry. Martin snorted and saw the storage shed at the end of the garden. He knocked on the door and said "Hello. It's Dr. Ellingham. I've taken your husband's gun. Can you open the door? Hello? Can you hear me? Open the door."

He pressed his ear to the door and heard shuffling footsteps and harsh breathing. A weak voice said "I'm coming. Just a…" And he heard a thud.

Martin shouted. "Penhale! Quickly, I need your assistance."

He tried to shove the door open but it wouldn't budge. There wasn't a window close enough to the lock or one big enough for him to get through.

Penhale hurried over, his loaded belt jangling, and answered "Here I am. The dynamic duo in action again. What do you want? Where's the gun?"

"I want you to help me get in this building! I just heard the wife hit the floor. Here, take this gun and help me push!" Martin demanded.

Joe turned to run back to his car yelling "Just a minute, Doc. I got something we can use."

He returned shortly with a pry bar and used it to force the door open. Martin rushed in and bent over the woman. "Do you have a torch? Shine it on her. On the wound, you idiot! I need to see it! Take mine and shine them both right there." She was shot in the lower right shoulder and was bleeding heavily. Her blouse was soaked and blood was seeping out on the floor beneath her. "When's the ambulance going to be here? No, call for the air ambulance. We've got to get her to the hospital."

Joe fumbled with the torches and his cell phone and managed to make the call and Martin added "Tell them speed is of the essence. She'll need a transfusion immediately."

He repeated the message and asked "Is there anything I can do to help? How bad is the husband hurt?" Joe asked nervously.

"No, just hold the lights steady. I haven't examined him yet." He removed his jacket, cut away the blood soaked blouse and pressed pads to the wound, trying to staunch the bleeding. Blood immediately soaked through the pads. "The bullet's still in her and must have hit an artery." He checked her vitals and found them to be dangerously low. In order to save her he would have to remove the bullet and clamp the artery. Kneeling in a dark shed with light from a torch would make it difficult to say the least. "Bring the light closer." He removed the bullet and dropped it into a tissue. Joe indicated that he should put it in his shirt pocket. "Gotta preserve the evidence. Just another crime, Doc, in this dangerous area."

Martin humphed, clamped the artery and bandaged the wound.

"Can you hear me? Madam, nod if you can hear me. I'm Dr. Ellingham. You called for help. Can you hear me?" He asked urgently.

She moaned and tried to raise her head. "No, lie still. The ambulance is on its way. PC Penhale is going to stay with you while I assist you husband."

She whispered faintly "Not husband. My brother. Argument. He needs…" And lost consciousness again.

They could hear the ambulance siren and saw its headlights turn in the driveway. At the same time, the helicopter was flying overhead looking for a landing area. The only place was the driveway. Martin ran out to meet them and in his usual brief manner explained as he led the helicopter crew to the storage shed. The ambulance crew followed to hear him. "I don't know their names but they're brother and sister. I didn't smell alcohol but something is causing mental confusion in the male and he shot himself in the foot with his gun. PC Penhale is in possession of the weapon." The ambulance crew hurried to the brother and started their examination of his wound. "The sister is in the storage shed – shot in the lower right shoulder, lost a lot blood. Vitals very poor. I removed the bullet and clamped the artery. She'll require that you start an IV right away."

They placed her carefully onto the gurney and wheeled her to the waiting helicopter, loaded her in and took off.

Martin and Joe joined the other crew. The brother was in pain, disoriented and barely lucid.

Joe motioned for Martin to step aside with him. " I'm going to follow them to the hospital but probably won't be able to question either one tonight. How did he shoot himself?"

"I was trying to find the shed and almost ran into him at that corner of the house. We were both startled; he lurched back and shot the gun, causing the wound in his foot. I demanded that he give me the gun which he did. He started crying and said 'I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt her.' And said something about noise. That's when you showed up. You heard her say that they had an argument, and he needs something." And he returned to watch the crew work on the brother's foot.

"What is your name? Have you had any intoxicating beverages to drink? Have you taken drugs of any kind, legal or otherwise? Have you been diagnosed by a doctor with any kind of mental distress or illness?" They asked him.

His name was Andrew Coble. The next two questions were answered 'no' but in response to the fourth he said, his words so slurred that they barely understood him, "Traumatic Brain Injury. Car wreck." And he passed out.

"We'll take him on in then. Thank you, gentlemen, for your assistance." The ambulance crew said as they loaded him onto their gurney and started to move him.

Martin left without speaking and walked to his car. He heard Joe yell "Hey Doc! You didn't throw up! Must be doin' something right!"

Martin stopped short when he heard that His phobia. Never once thought of it. He got in his car and drove home. It wasn't that late; maybe Louisa was waiting up for him. He hated missing bath time with James Henry.

He pulled into the surgery parking space and was glad to see that the lights were still on. Louisa greeted him at the door with a relieved hug and kiss. "I was so worried! You said something about a safe place which meant that you were walking into a very dangerous situation. Come in the kitchen and I'll make some tea. You know I'm not asking you to tell me anything confidential but can you at least tell me why a safe place was needed?"

"Briefly, there was a quarrel, a gun was present and someone got shot. I don't think it's fatal." He let her know that was all the information she would get by changing the subject. "It's not very late. Let's look for contractors while we drink our tea." He looked around for his laptop and she told him it was on the washer. "What in god's name was it doing on the washer? Honestly, the woman was totally illogical when it came to putting things away!" he thought to himself. "Yes, that's the first place I would've looked". That, he said out loud.

Louisa huffed and said with not a little sarcasm "Hey, you're finally catching on!"

"Humph! Let's get started." He opened the computer and she poured hot water into their cups.

"We should try to use a local contractor if possible you know. I've used Billy Higgins for some things and found him to be thorough and reliable. I think I have his business card somewhere."

"Then you should add him to the list. Understand that I don't want to choose a contractor just because he's local. That's not logical or wise." He said sternly. She wasn't entirely happy with what she considered to be a condescending tone.

She stirred her tea, slammed her spoon down and shot back at him. "Well, duh! If you had listened, you would have heard that I said _try to use_. I'm sorry if you took that as _we have to_!"

He was mildly surprised and asked "Are you upset about something? I merely said that…"

"I heard what you said! Can we move on, please? Sometimes talking to you is like talking to a table leg." She sat with her arms crossed over her chest and frowned.

He looked cautiously at her "Certainly. And thank you for making the tea. Put Billy Higgins first on the list. Please?"

She suddenly realized how silly she was being and laughed. "Yes, I will. Now, what have you found?"

He turned the screen so that they could both see it and they spent an hour checking the listings of contractors in Truro and Wadebridge. And remembering Elaine's "I've come from Delabole!" remark when they first met, he also included contractors from that village. "Ok, that's ten possible contenders.

In my experience, some of them won't bother to return our call so we'll probably end up with no more than five. We should have a list of the things we'd _like_ to have done and a list of things that we _must_ have done ready for them; what's a reasonable amount of money to spend; a time frame; establish a line of credit and so on." He rubbed a tired hand across his head. "So much to do and think about."

"We're both tired and we don't have to do it all tonight. We've made a reasonable start and I want to go to bed. It's your turn to go to the leisure center which means an early wake up time."

He checked on Buddy and locked the front door while she cleared their cups off the table and locked the back door. Lights out and they walked arm in arm upstairs.


	50. Chapter 50

Chapter 50

Martin got up early, dressed, lightly kissed Louisa, checked on James Henry and left for the leisure center. He warmed up and jogged to the center with Buddy trotting beside him. He had another full day in the surgery, updates to the farm to think about and, in the back of his mind, the board meeting at the hospital in Truro. He did a full work out and returned home. Louisa was feeding the baby and they both smiled when he came through the back door. James Henry babbled through a mouth full of applesauce and managed to spew it all over his face and bib. He kicked and waved his arms, so happy to see his Daddy. Martin kissed Louisa, "Good morning, James Henry. You've made a mess. You know the food is supposed to go _in_ your mouth. Right?" He felt his forehead and left to shower and shave. A five burner gas stove, a pot filler, double ovens, granite counter tops, as many deep cabinets and drawers as could be fitted in the kitchen, a large farm sink and an island. Lots of outlets. A functional kitchen that they could cook in at the same time. They looked up as he entered the kitchen looking like he just stepped out of a men's fashion magazine– dazzling wine colored shirt and matching silk tie, grey suit, polished black shoes and smelling of clean, sharp after shave. She felt her stomach tighten and stared at him with that hungry look that turned him on and surprised him (every time) when he saw it.

"Morning Martin. You look sharp as usual. Another busy day?" She asked. The baby was busy draining his bottle but still had time to grin at his Daddy.

"Yes, very full day. Can I make you breakfast? How about a cup of espresso?"

"Please. Porridge with cinnamon and bananas sounds good if you would eat some, too." She put the baby on her shoulder to wind but he kept trying to turn to watch Martin. "Better yet, take your son and let me cook. Is porridge ok with you or something different?"

He took the smiling baby and winded him. "Yes, porridge is fine but I'd really enjoy my espresso first. What are your plans for today?" James Henry was mouthing his chin when he burped. "Another indignity!"

Louisa giggled and made the espresso. "I thought I'd start calling the contractors but realized we haven't started a list yet. Cart before the horse, don't you think?"

He told her his thoughts about the kitchen and her face lit up "Yes! Wonderful ideas. I think that first we should concentrate on the wiring, plumbing, boiler, and new windows. In that order. The remodeling can be done as we can afford it. Agree?"

"Sounds like you've been thinking about it, too. Yes, in that order. We could live in the house as is but we'd enjoy it more with the improvements we've planned. Make your list and that's enough to work on with the contractors. Do you want to design the new loos? Walk in shower, jetted tub, what you'd like for them to have. Oh, and a half bath in the hallway under the stairs or somewhere close to the back door so we can wash up after we come indoors. Will you take care of the contractors?" He sounded excited. Unusual for Martin.

"Yes, of course. I'll start today. But, we really have to talk about money before we schedule any meetings. And, factor this in. I want a piano. It was supposed to be a surprise and Chris and Carol were going to help me choose one. I don't know how much they cost but I was going to draw on my retirement funds and maybe sell my cottage to pay for it." She saw that he glanced at her with a surprised look. "I really want one in our home. I'd like to learn to play it and James Henry, too. We'll talk about it tonight." She put the bowls of porridge on the table with fresh cups of espresso and they ate in silence, both thinking about the same thing – updating the farm house.

"I'll see you at lunch." He stroked the baby's head and gave her a kiss. "Yes, we'll discuss everything tonight."

This was one of those days with James Henry. Sometimes it seemed as if he knew when she needed or wanted to do something and he chose those days to demand her attention. He wasn't fractious and whiny, he just wanted her undivided attention. He wasn't happy in the play pen or his carry all, just on her lap. "James Henry! What's wrong with my little man?"

He rubbed his nose and yawned. "Ok, let's go upstairs and find a book to read. You need a nap." She picked out a book about a toy train and read it as she rocked him to sleep. She whispered as she laid him in the crib. "Sleep well. Mommy and Daddy love you very much." As soon as she laid him down, eyes wide open and indignant wails that magically stopped as soon as she picked him up. "H-m-m. Are you getting spoiled? Maybe just a little? You know that we won't put up with that! We've all got our routines that we follow and a morning nap is part of yours. So down you go young man. Here's your teddy bear, the light's off so go to sleep. Go to sleep and we'll go see Grand-pa Bert when you wake up." She walked out of the room, pulled the door to and walked with heavy footsteps down the stairs and stood listening at the bottom. He cried in protest as soon as the door closed and was still crying five minutes later. She glanced nervously around the room and observed a couple of grumpy faces. "I'm sorry for the noise. We're having a contest of wills. I say nap time and he says no. Hopefully, it won't continue for much longer."

"First time he's done this. He's not teething again is he?" Morwenna asked.

"No, I think he's just a little spoiled but if he cries much longer, I'll ask Dr. Ellingham to look at him." Louisa grimaced as she answered.

Cries turned into snuffles and then silence. She ran into the lounge and listened to the baby monitor and heard the soft sounds of a baby sleeping. Thank goodness!

She began the tedious and, at the same time, exciting task of calling contractors. Careful notes were the key – no answer, left message, out of business and scheduled appointments. Martin had to make a house call so missed lunch. She hoped he managed to find time to eat something.

She and James Henry paid their daily visit to Grand-pa Bert and shopped for dinner. She chose fresh lamb for Shepherd's Pies with a fresh fruit salad for afters.

Martin closed the surgery and came to the kitchen. The baby, as usual, was happy to see his Daddy and demanded attention. Martin felt his forehead, picked him up and nuzzled his head. "Dinner smells good. Shepherd's Pie? Very appealing. Have you fed James Henry? No? Good, I'd like to do it." He prepared the cereal and plums and started feeding him. "What made you think about a piano?"

"The way you played at Chris and Carol's house. It was so lovely and then both of them play an instrument. I'm envious. And, I want James Henry to have the opportunity to learn." She said as she took the pie out of the cooker.

He nodded and prepared the baby's bottle.

"May I ask when and why you stopped playing, Martin? If I had your talent, nothing could make me stop." She leaned against the counter as she spoke.

"I was in med school and I suppose I was just too busy. But if you really want one I certainly have no objection. We'll have room for it in the farm house." The baby finished the bottle and Martin put him on his shoulder to wind.

He had never lied to her and she was convinced he never would. Another memory buried. "Kristin Chenoweth teaches piano. Has for years. I'll call her when we're settled. Put the centerpiece in his carryall and I'll fix your plate. I put plenty of vegetables in it and I roasted some brussels sprouts."

She told him about the contractors and their appointments. "I've made copies of the list for all of them and will ask them to cost out the wiring, plumbing, boiler and windows and then the kitchen and loos. Then we can make our choice. But, I have some other ideas to talk about."

"What ideas and, unfortunately, I'll be on call for three of those dates. Would you like more water?" He asked.

"No thanks but would you please put the kettle on? Not to worry, I'll take good notes if you're not there. As to my ideas, wait till we put James Henry to bed." Louisa patted the baby's tummy as she spoke. "Do you think Chris will call tonight about the meeting today?"

He filled the kettle and put it on the cooker before he answered. "No, I shouldn't think so. It would be awkward until the hospital makes a decision. Either way, I'll be notified by letter."

"You seem very calm about it." She said looking puzzled.

"I am. I want to work there but it's not the be all, end all for me. I've said it and I mean it – as long as you and James Henry are with me I'm fine no matter what I'm doing." He took their dishes to the sink as he spoke. The water was hot and he poured some over her tea bag. They loaded the dishes into the washer and went to the lounge to spend time with James Henry before bath time. Martin looked askance when she tickled his tummy and said things like, "I'm going to get your nose!", "Where are your toes? There they are!", "Where's Daddy? Can you find Daddy? Is he hiding? No! There he is!" And the worst of all the inanities he had ever heard was "Pee Pie! You can't see me. Pee Pie!" The baby giggled and obviously enjoyed his Mommy's way of teaching while playing.

They took him upstairs for his bath and Louisa wanted to try something different. Instead of using the baby bathtub, she ran the warm water in the tub and laid him in it on his back. Martin and he had the same startled look on their faces making her laugh. "Don't worry Martin. We're right here with him." She splashed some water on his tummy and his thrashing arms and legs made more splashes. "Hey, this feels pretty good!" said the expression on his face. He giggled and splashed water all in her face and on her blouse. She bathed and then handed him to Martin who was waiting with a warm towel. She thought she could see the beginnings of a smile on Martin's face as he held and dried the excited baby. Clean nappy, warm pjs and time for his last feed. Again, they made it a team effort – he prepared the fruit and cereal and she fed it to him. She prepared the bottle and he took it and the baby to the nursery where he fed him while reciting some of the stirring speeches from Shakespeare's 'Henry V'. Martin winded him and the gentle rocking along with the sound of his father's voice soon soothed him to sleep. Martin lay him in the crib, covered him with a soft blanket and he rolled over on his side and slept on. He walked softly out of the room and joined Louisa in the lounge. She was watching some show on television where people supposedly learned dance steps in one week and performed them in a contest. He had compulsory dance lessons while in school and felt that learning those complicated dances would take more than a week. Oh well, he had his latest lancet to read. She snuggled up next to him and stroked his neck and ran her finger around his ear while tapping her foot to the music. Didn't she realize what she was doing to him? He shifted his seat and lowered the magazine to conceal what was happening to him, flipped to a new chapter trying to distract himself from the feel of her full breast against his arm. She laughed at something, he had no idea at what, and pressed her leg tightly against his. Wait a minute! He knew that giggle. He put his lancet down, used the old 'stretch his arms over his head' trick and dropped one over her shoulders, his hand stroking her arm. She lowered her hand to his leg and moved it between them, gently squeezing those firm muscles, eyes still on the tv. They turned their heads at the same time, their breath on the others face. "What? Did you want something, Louisa?" He asked huskily.

"Um-m-m, something may occur to me." And she languidly rubbed his upper lip with one finger "You've got a spot there."

"Thank you. Can you make sure you were thorough?" He whispered.

"Of course." And she ran her tongue around his lips and moved her hand lower and to the east.

He cleared his throat and moaned softly. "Louisa."

"Yes, Martin." Her fingers were, as usual, proving to be very nimble.

"For God's sake!" And he twisted her round to lie across his legs and took their play to the ultimate conclusion. The last sound he remembered was her sigh and "You're incredible, Martin. Thank you."


	51. Chapter 51

Chapter 51

Leaving Martin in that warm bed to go jump in the cold water of the leisure center pool was so difficult! She wanted to snuggle with him and maybe repeat the experience of last night. Who would ever think the severe, unsociable and rude Doc Martin could do what he done with her last night. Her legs still felt they were made of cotton floss instead of muscle and bone. She forced herself to dress and sprint to the center. Buddy loved it and waited by the door for her to come out and ran beside her back to the surgery. "Good boy! You deserve a good breakfast this morning." He ate his food hungrily, wagging his tail and looking up at her between bites. She walked into the kitchen to see Martin feeding their son cereal and a new fruit – plums. He made sucking noises and smacked his lips while trying to grin at her. Mostly he made a mess. "Good morning messy baby!" She stood behind Martin, nibbled his ear lobe and whispered "Good morning, lover." Of course, he blushed and tucked his chin down into his chest. She giggled and made them both espresso.

Martin thought he would have a light day in the surgery but fate took a hand. Two emergency house calls, one of which involved a pig with a pro-lapsed anus.

"You do realize that I'm not a vet! You've wasted a good deal of my time with this mindless prank! Idiot!" Martin turned and saw the man's living conditions. They were appalling!

"The vet ain't pickin' up 'is phone! And it ain't no prank! This pig is sufferin' from havin' a sore bung hole and I be sufferin' right along wid 'er. You could at least try, fercrisaeik!" was an elderly farmer and Martin thought he showed signs of possible dementia. Auntie Joan had kept an eye on him but, since she died, he had steadily deteriorated. His house was unkempt and smelled of rotted food. His clothes were dirty and he stank of urine and body odor.

Martin asked in a much calmer voice "Mr. Tallack, do you have any relatives or friends who could help you clean up your house and garden? And take a bath?"

"Nah. The wife died years ago. Never had no kids. Me friends all dead. It's just me and Polly and she ain't doin' so good. Fine doc you are!" He patted Polly and sat down in the mud next to her, tears running down his grimy face.

"See here, I'll do what I can for your…Polly. I'll be back shortly." Martin walked to his car and phoned Social Services to come immediately. Then he called Bert, the fount of knowledge about all the villagers. Bert suggested another farmer who could take care of Polly – a Seth Elecott who lived on a neighboring farm. Martin called him and after explaining the situation, Seth volunteered to bring a trailer to transport the pig to his farm. "He and me Dad were pards for years. I used to 'elp 'im around 'is farm when I a lit'le tyke but e's gone all bodmin like. 'E don't want me 'round 'is place no more. But, I'll come right 'round wid me trailer see wot I kin do."

While he waited for Social Services to arrive, Martin explained to Mr. Tallack what the plans were. "I've called Social Services…"

"Wot? You ain't never done it! Wot do ye think yur doin? I ain't no charity case and who'd take care of me Polly if I was to leave? You mind your own feckin business!" Mr. Tallack fell back when he tried to stand and Martin took his arm to help. Mr. Tallack took a wild swing at him and shouted "Com'ere coward! I'm gonna punch your face in! Where air ye?"

Martin got a good look at the filmy eyes searching for his face. "Can you see me, Mr. Tallack?"

"Nah, but I kin still beat yur ass!" And he swung again, this time connecting with Martin's nose. "Ha! Got ye! That'll teach 'e ta mess in me business!" Mr. Tallack spat out gleefully.

Martin pressed a handkerchief` to his bleeding nose and gritted out. "Bugger you! Shut up and let me talk! I'm going to make sure your bloo…er Polly is taken care of. And you whether you like it or not! Now, answer my bloody question! Can…you…see…me?"

"I ain't deef you bloody bizzy body! Nah, I ain't seen so good for bett'ern a year. That don't mean I'm 'elpless!" Exhausted by the unusual activities, he sank back down to the ground.

"Hold still and let me look at your eyes. I said hold still!" Martin examined his eyes and spoke again. "Mr. Tallack, I think you have very bad cataracts. I called Social Services to help you. You'll be given a good bath, clean clothes, and nourishing food. A doctor will examine your eyes and, if you do have cataracts, will do a simple procedure that will enable you to see again. We'll see about getting this place cleaned up and, if and when you're well enough, you should be able to return here to live. I'll come by to check on your health on a regular schedule. Shut up! I did not give you permission to speak! If you're too backward to realize that you can't continue to live like this then someone else will make that decision for you. You'll be sectioned. Is that what you prefer? Stop sniveling and answer me!"

"O'course that ain't wot I want. But who'll take kere uf me Polly? We been together since she were a lit'le bit o' nuthin. We et the others but not me Polly." Mr. Tallack asked tearfully.

"I called a neighbor of yours – a Seth Elecott. I understand that you and his father were friends. He's coming with a trailer and will transport er…Polly back to his farm and look after her while you're gone." Martin stepped away from Mr. Tallack's unpleasant odor as he spoke. Polly was rooting around and trotted over to him to inspect his once spotless shoes, snuffling and grunting. "Stop that! Get away! Mr. Tallack, call this disgusting animal away from me at once!"

"Wot air ye? A bloody emmet ain't ye? A fine thing this be! You comin' 'round 'ere talkin' bad about me Polly! I oughta punch you agin! Give you 'nother bobber lip." Mr. Tallack snickered as he spoke. "Com'ere Polly and leave the gent alone. Hm-m, I ain't been to neighborly to Seth lately. Ashamed fer 'im to see this mess. Livin' rough as rats and I can still smell ye know."

"I shouldn't worry about it too much. He sounded quite friendly over the mobile. Here he comes now, I presume." Martin looked down the overgrown drive and saw a beat up but clean truck coming towards them.

"Hello, Mr. Tallack. Hadn't seen ye in quite a while. 'ear tell ye been havin' some trouble." Seth held out his hand and was surprised that his neighbor wouldn't shake it. Martin shook his head and pointed to his eyes to alert the younger man to the problem. "I told the doc 'ere that I'd be more'n 'appy to look after your pig fur ye. Wot's 'er name?"

"Polly and she'em a good'un but she got a sore bung hole. I ain't been overly nice to ye lately but I's ashamed. My place is a right wreck. Doc's sending me some'eres where they'll fix me eyes so's I kin live 'ere agin. He be a bloody emmet but he ain't too bad. Sorry about that busted lip, Doc. When'll them people git 'ere to take me to the 'ospital? Mygar, teeohsuh! Ain't 'ad a decent one in furever."

Seth was looking around at the appalling mess, shrugged his shoulders at Martin and spoke. "I'll take kere of Polly's sore ass. Don't worry about it. Me and a couple more pards'll see what we kin do 'bout cleanin' this place up a lit'le while you be gone. Anythin' we're not sure 'bout, we'll put it some'eres till you kin look at it. Alright?"

"Mygar! Lot of work fur ye. You sure 'bout that?" Mr. Tallack's voice was quavering.

"Piece o' piss! Ye just go on and let them people fix ye up. And don't worry 'bout nuthin', I'll do me best for ye. Good?"

Mr. Tallack stuck his hand out in the direction of Seth's voice and they shook on it. Mr. Tallack smiled hugely showing his one remaining yellow tooth. "Doc, will 'e shake with me?"

"No. Here they come." Martin walked to the parking area to greet them in private. "I'm Dr. Martin Ellingham and that is Mr. Warren Tallewack. As you can see, he's in need of care. Also, a complete physical including an eye exam. I believe he has cataracts and is practically blind. The younger man is Sam Elecop. He and some friends are going to clean this place up while Mr. um…Tallbackel is in your care. Please keep me informed as to his progress." And he turned and walked off.

The next house call was to an old friend of Auntie Joan who remembered him as a child. It was excruciating to hear her talk about him. He had told Auntie Joan that she was vile and Joan gave a wry shrug and agreed.

" ! We've had several discussions about your constant demands for me to come to your house. _If it isn't an emergency, you come to the clinic!_ Can you grasp that concept or is your brain incapable of understanding simple instructions?" Martin was scowling furiously as he spoke.

She smirked at him and drawled, "Why, little Marty! How can you speak to someone like that who changed your wet pants more than a few times? And wiped your snotty nose when you cried over a splinter? Really!"

He gritted out "What is your mysterious complaint this time? A stomach ache from eating too much chocolate cake and pork crisps?"

"Why no. I tripped this morning and fell against the kitchen counter. I don't think my wrist is broken but it's certainly painful. Could you be a dear little Marty and look at it for me?" This time she smirked and purred.

"Gawd!" He thought to himself. "A sprained wrist is not an emergency and you damn well know it!"

"Oh please? Do take a look at it." Now she was back to smirking.

He gritted his teeth and nodded. She held out her wrist and he gently examined it. In spite of his anger, she was still his patient. "Yes, you've sprained it. It's not a bad sprain but needs ice on it. And later, wrapped." He wrote out a schedule for the icing and showed her how to wrap it. "Here are some pain pills. Please take them with food and plenty of water. If you're not better in a couple of days, _come to the clinic_ and I'll re-examine you."

"Very well. Thank you little Marty for your courtesy." Now she was smirking and sarcastic.

He turned abruptly and left. He heard a sickly sweet voice follow him out "What a poppet! It was so nice to see your smiling face again." And then a snicker.

"Vile, hateful woman! How in the world could Auntie Joan ever be friends with that…that troll!" He fumed all the way back to the surgery.

Things didn't get better. He went in the door of the surgery and saw a sea of faces. There were ten people in there, all looking at him like he was their personal magician who could make anything better. "Do all of you have an appointment? Morwenna, why did you schedule so many? We close in one hour."

"I'm sorry Doc but they've all got the same itchy rash. Thought you'd want ta see if it's contagious or not. Here." And she handed him the file for the first patient.

He turned to survey them again and said "Miss Pilchard, come through."

He found out that the rash more than likely came from a holistic 'healer' who had set up shop in the village a few days ago. All the patients had tried his homemade soap, guaranteed to make your skin silky soft, and all broke out in a rash. He sent off a sample to be tested and would pay a visit to the 'healer' tomorrow. Right now, all he and Morwenna wanted to do was close the clinic. They didn't finish until half seven.

"Good night, Doc. I'm knackered!" She walked wearily out the door and locked it behind her.

Martin went through to the lounge and saw James Henry in his play pen and Louisa on the sofa folding clothes. They both smiled when they saw him and he could feel his weariness lifting off his shoulders.

Louisa stood and held out her arms. "Hello, husband. You look knackered and I bet you're starved. Sit with the baby a minute and I'll fix our plates. Tea or espresso? Yes sir, water it is."

She disappeared into the kitchen and he stood over the smiling, babbling baby. "Hello. James Henry. Have you behaved appropriately today?" He picked him up and felt that soft head nuzzle his neck. He stood like that until James Henry decided that things were too quiet and wanted his Daddy to talk to him. He leaned back and smiled up at him. The sides of Martin's mouth lifted slightly and he pressed that little face next to his. "Let's go see what Mommy's doing. I bet you've already eaten but we can still have bath time together. Louisa, that smells good. Is that monk fish? Did you remember no butter? Why are you looking at me like that? It's just a simple question. Yes, I know you've never forgotten that I prefer it without butter. Ok, I'm sorry for asking. It won't happen again." He stood feeling awkward while staring at her. Was she still upset? Over a simple question? Would he ever learn what _not_ to say! "Is there anything I can do to help?"

She immediately turned and embraced both him and the baby. "No, I'm sorry. I know you didn't mean to nag. Just your way of talking. I roasted vegetables and bought some of the _best_ bread. It May Contain Nuts had it on special today so I thought we'd try a loaf. It's like a seed cake, I think. Here, try some." She put a small slice in his mouth and watched his face as he tried it.

His stomach growled. "I didn't realize how hungry I was! That's very good. James Henry, you must sit in your carry all while I wash my hands and help Mommy. Now, just be patient. You won't lack for attention." He got the drinks and set the table. She put their plates down and he wasted no time before starting to eat. "This is done to perfection. And you're correct – this bread is delicious. I like dense, hearty bread." That was the last he spoke until his plate was clean and he had a cup of steaming hot espresso ready to drink. "What did you do today?"

"Just the usual except Jane and Penny came here so we could have a meeting about the curriculums. Mrs. Blythe was supposed to be here but one of the teachers called in so she had to cover. It was a good meeting and I like them very much. And our son behaved perfectly! I think he's going to be a flirt." She laughed and rubbed that soft little belly. James Henry giggled and grinned back at her. She had decided to have a cup of tea and was waiting for it to brew. The store had some new varieties in and she thought Ginger Dragon sounded interesting. It smelled of cinnamon and ginger and it turned out to be a little hot but very flavorful. Good choice. "How about you? How was your day?"

"Tiring. Oh, if someone tells you to try anything from a holistic 'healer' (his voice dripped with contempt at the word 'healer') named Austell Nankervis, take my advice and don't do it."

"I've heard about him and didn't plan on buying anything. You should hear what people are saying about his workshop. It's supposedly filthy. I'll clear the dishes while you bathe James Henry. You two need some time together and I'm sure you've smell the need for a bath!"

"Yes, definitely not aromatic. James Henry, it's bath time for you." He took off the offending nappy and cleaned a smelly, little bum. Last night's unusual method of bathing seemed enjoyable to his evidently adventurous little son. James Henry observed his Daddy's preparations and when he felt the warm water again he kicked and waved his arms with pleasure. Martin had the foresight to remove his jacket and tie to prevent them from being splashed by the activity taking place in the tub. He interrupted the happy babbling and said "Be still, please. The point of this exercise is to have a clean body. How can we accomplish that if you won't be still?" Martin lectured on the advantages of being clean while he captured those swiftly moving little limbs and gently washed each one along with face, ears and hair. When he lifted him into a warm towel, the smell of clean baby made him close his eyes and, for some unknown reason, think of Auntie Joan. He carried a clean, creamed and dressed baby downstairs to have some family time and his last feed. Louisa was waiting for them, took the baby and danced around the room, both giggling. "Come on Martin, dance with us!" She took his hand and pulled him into her embrace and swayed her hips, inviting him to join them. They swayed around the room to the tune she was humming. Martin's face muscles felt strange. He felt a surge of love for them both that overwhelmed him and he felt his lips turning up into a genuine smile. Louisa smiled back and they kissed with the baby held closely between them. He certainly wasn't given to outburst of emotion but he felt that this was a magical evening.

 ***The way they are bathing James Henry is the way my son and daughter-in-law bathed my grand-daughter. I about fainted the first time I saw it but she loved it and is a fantastic swimmer today in the Coast Guard.**

 **** I got a little adventurous with Cornish words in this chapter. I looked up Cornish Words on the web and got a good list. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Here are the interpretations of them.**

 **fercrisaeik!" - for Christ's sake**

 **pards – mates or friends**

 **emmet – tourist mildly derogatory**

 **rough as rats – unkept nature**

 **Mygar, teeohsuh – (my favorite) good gracious, I would love a cup of tea**

 **Bobber lip – bruised lip**

 **Piece of piss - easy**


	52. Chapter 52

Chapter 52

Martin swam 50 laps for his workout and he and Buddy returned to the surgery ready to eat anything they could find. Buddy wolfed down his food and looked up at Martin with begging eyes and a wagging tail. He got petted and more food so life was good.

Martin entered the kitchen to see the familiar site of Louisa feeding their son. James Henry's effort to babble through a mouthful of cereal was again unsuccessful. Louisa was laughing when she got her good morning kiss. "Good morning, Louisa. Good morning, James Henry. I see you're again demonstrating your lack of manners. Soft boiled eggs and soldiers?" He asked as he got a large glass of water.

"No, you go on up and take a shower. I can handle things down here. Breakfast will be ready when you come down." She answered as she scraped a spoonful of cereal off his chin and back in that greedy little mouth.

"Yes, and I'll clean him up and dress him after breakfast." And he turned and left.

Martin finished breakfast, took care of James Henry and opened the surgery.

"Mornin' Doc. Hope today is better'n yesterday for you. I got the word out about that tosser 'healer' and his soap. Shouldn't see so many rashes today." Morwenna said as she turned on the computer.

"Yes, I'm going to visit him if I have time between appointments. Get his number for me." He looked at the schedule on his computer and his first appointment wasn't until ten o'clock. If he could get in touch with the man, he would have time to visit him.

"Doc, here's the number. And, if you need it, the address." Morwenna said as she laid a piece of paper on his desk.

"Mr. Austell Nankervis? This is Dr. Martin Ellingham. The village gp. I must talk to you about your products. I have an opening now so will be at your location in five minutes." Not bothering to hear the man's response, he nodded to Morwenna and left.

Mr. Nankervis opened his door and Martin's first impressions were oily, unctuous, patronizing and a phony! "Hello, you must be Dr. Ellton. Do come in. Tea?"

"No, it's Dr. Ellingham. I had several patients yesterday with painful and itchy rashes. The thing they all had in common was the use of your soap. I've…"

"No, no, no! That can't be right. Your patients must have exposed themselves to something else. My products are all natural and perfectly safe." Mr. Austell Nankervis stated positively.

"May I remind you that arsenic is 'all natural'. The soap in question is the one 'guaranteed to leave your skin silky soft'. Until your product is tested, I ask you to stop selling it." Martin stated in his no nonsense manner.

"You got no right to tell me to do that! I've been doing this for years without a single complaint. I've heard about you and _you_ can't make that claim. My products are perfectly safe. I gather all the ingredients meself. None of that artificial trash in my products!" Mr. Nankervis stated firmly but Martin noticed that his upper lip was shining with perspiration.

"Tell me the ingredients you used in that soap and where you got them." Martin demanded.

Mr. Nankervis listed the different things he used. He mispronounced some of the words making Martin more suspicious but he nodded his head after each one until Lesser Celandine was mentioned. Mr. Nankervis gulped and stopped talking when he saw Martin's eyes narrow.

"Where did you get Lesser Celandine and why did you decide to use it?" Martin asked.

"Well, er well, I gathered it meself from the forest and marshes where I get all my ingredients. Why're you asking?" Mr. Nankervis whole face was perspiring and his hands were twitching.

"If you knew nearly as much as you're pretending to, you'd know that Lesser Celandine can cause skin irritation. Where's your workshop? I want to see it." Martin was convinced now that he was dealing with a charlatan.

"My workshop is private. I don't share me secrets with no one, much less people I just met! How do I even know you're a doctor anyway? You just get out! Get out and don't show your face here again!" He blustered.

"Then you will stop selling every one of your products. If not, I'll report you to the Health Services. My patient's rashes were so severe that they looked burned! Perfectly safe indeed! You unctuous platitudinous eunuch!" Martin wore his most authoritative look.

Mr. Nankervis folded under the threat of the Health Services. He was surly and resentful when he answered "Very well! I'll remember this _Doctor_ and may do some reportin' of me own." He continued to grumble under his breath and yelled "Tosser!" when Martin was safely out of the building.

Martin immediately called Penhale, apprised him of the circumstances and warned him that Mr. Nankervis would probably skip town. "I know for a certainty that one of his products is a health safety hazard and I would wager that the rest are, too. I'm calling Health Services to alert them and they'll want to work with you on this."

"Right! I'll get on it. Haven't seen you since the shooting…" Penhale was interrupted by the unwilling other half of the dynamic duo.

"Yes." And he hung up.

He returned to the surgery and called Health Services, saw two more patients who had used the soap, an upset stomach, a nervous mother who brought her child in for every conceivable imagined ailment and consistently refused to believe that there was nothing wrong with her, an elderly man with bunions and a teenage boy who wanted information about safe sex. "No, you can't impregnate a girl by French kissing her! I have some very valuable advice for you to follow – don't even think about having sex until your knowledge about it is more advanced than what you read on the walls of public lavatories! Next patient!"

Morwenna came in the consultation room waving a piece of paper. "Hey Doc! 'Member that sample you sent to the lab from the restaurant? I found this under my desk and it's the results of the test. Don't know how it got there."

Martin quickly perused the information and called Mr. Clontz. "Yes, the water is contaminated. Gather all the bottles and Health Services will pick them up and pay a visit to the people who sold them to you. Yes, your restaurant is cleared completely. Yes, you can call Health Services any time and they will confirm what I said." And he hung up.

Time to close for the day. Thank god!

Louisa's day consisted of talking with Ruth, paying a visit to see Bert and exclaim again over his weight loss, getting her hair trimmed, buying nappies and baby supplies while putting up with a saccharine sweet Mrs. Tishell, picking up their dry cleaning and stopping at the fish market.

Martin walked into the kitchen and was welcomed with smiles and gurgles. He kissed Louisa and touched James Henry's forehead. "Good afternoon, Louisa, James Henry. That's an unusual odor. What are you cooking?" And he picked up his smiling son who promptly nuzzled his neck in greeting then leaned back and grinned up at him.

"I'm trying something new for me – Starry Gazy Pie. Don't worry, I made it healthy. Whole wheat crust, very lean rasher of bacon and half the salt the recipe called for. And, I talked to Ruth today and she'd like us to come for lunch which explains the pie. I told her I'd call and let her know after I talked to you. So, what'd you think? Want to go?" Louisa answered as she checked the pie.

"Yes, I'd like to see her as much as possible before she moves. And, I've been thinking about floor plans. Yes, I'll call her." He sat down and dialed with his free hand.

"She's making a green salad and all we have to do is take the ingredients to her." Louisa laughed.

Martin rolled his eyes and the plans were made.

They loaded the car and Buddy jumped in, sat at attention, ready for an adventure. James Henry reached a little hand towards him and the smart little dog placed his head under the hand. Squeals and rapidly moving limbs were his reward for good behavior.

Martin stopped at the vegetable market and Louisa ran in to get the ingredients for their salad and some poppy seed dressing. She also got fruit for afters.

"What are your thoughts about floor plans?" Louisa asked with her pad and biro ready to take notes.

"I said we shouldn't change it too much – leave it 'homey'. But, what do you think about taking out the wall between the kitchen and lounge area? It's not a supporting wall."

"That would certainly give us more space. But wouldn't we have odd spaces and corners in that area?" Louisa frowned a little.

He sighed and said "I don't know. Let's draw a floor plan and try to include the lavatory."

" _The_ lavatory? What happened to the half lavatory?"

"Think about it; two full lavatories. We've juggled with just one at the surgery and I've found it inconvenient at times. It's just a thought. Would you include it on your list, please?"

"Of course. The list is growing! I've thought about an addition to the house. It could be a lounge, play room, whatever we want. It would open out to the deck with double French doors. Think of the view! And when we get older and no longer want to deal with the stairs, it could be our bedroom. Oh, and it should have a fireplace with a gas logs." Louisa sounded excited when she talked about her idea.

Martin nodded in agreement. "And the extra lavatory could go there. Add it to the list." He just didn't do excitement very well but his voice gave him away. She had a _very_ good idea.


	53. Chapter 53

Chapter 53

Ruth came out to greet them and immediately took her great-nephew in her arms. Buddy jumped out first and took off across the fields. "Well nephew, we meet again. I'm glad to see you looking so well." James Henry grinned and mouthed her cheek. "Heavens! Who's teaching you manners? And those teeth are sharp! Martin, Louisa – I'll be a frequent visitor you know. Your son is enchanting."

Martin remained impassive and Louisa smiled "We thought we'd keep the bedroom you use now as yours. That way it'll always be ready for you."

Martin carried the first load of baby things into the house, and the next trip, returned with the pie, salad makings and fruit. He started the salad and Louisa put the pie in the oven to keep warm. Ruth continued to hold the baby. She nuzzled his neck and felt that warm, soft little body and thought again how much he looked like his father. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she surreptitiously wiped them on the baby's jumper. She had missed so much! "Well, I think I've fulfilled my duty in greeting you. How about you go in your playpen and I'll help with lunch." She got the water glasses and plugged in the kettle. The table was set with pretty placemats and Joan's best silver.

"Every things ready so let's eat. Ruth, can I serve your plate?" Louisa held a plate ready.

"Yes dear. I'm really rather hungry today. The salad looks wonderful. So glad you bought the ingredients _and_ made it _and_ let me take credit for it." Ruth answered.

Martin gave her a wry look and served the salad and added the dressing. He commented "I remember Auntie Joan and me polishing this set. She was proud of them and used them for all the holidays with the rose willow wear china. Somewhere in this house the lace table cloth and embroidered napkins we used. She loved Christmas."

"All those items were your great-aunt Conwenna's and she inherited them from someone else in our family. Sorry I can't remember who. Of course, they're now yours and Louisa's. By the way dear, I found some pictures that you'll be interested in. I'll show them to you after we eat. The pie smells heavenly!"

Louisa sat quietly and listened to Martin and Ruth talk about their experiences with patients. She had to give Ruth credit for the most interesting stories about her patients: one ground up her many husbands and fed them to the pigs and sold them as 'free range', one constantly exposed himself to the animals in the zoo, one cut off his victim's feet, smoked them and displayed them in his prosthetic limb store and so on. Martin's stories were boring compared to Ruth's.

"Well Louisa, you must have some stories about your students. Want to share some with us?" Ruth asked.

"None as interesting as yours!" Louisa exclaimed. "Some of them were doing a project that included cotton balls and super glue. One bright spark got the idea of making beards. That was a right mess. One of the boys lost a bet and had to hop everywhere he went that day. Somebody in fifth year brought white powder and a red marker and all the students in that class suddenly came down with the measles. Something that upset me very much was catching some of the eight years smoking. It's been a long time since that's happened." Louisa sighed as she finished her recital.

"Hm-m, harmless pranks. Boring but harmless. Joan and I daren't do anything even as mild as those. We were terrified of Mother! Do you remember her Martin?" Ruth was getting out a surprise bottle of sherry and glasses as she spoke.

"I sort of have a vague memory of some female who smelled of camphor and wasn't very nice to grand-father. I got the impression that they didn't like each other very much."

"That's an understatement! He tried to be kind to us but it never worked out. I think he was frightened of our mother. When she died he was suddenly free but it was too late for us. We were finished with school and busy with our careers. Joan, of course, went her own way. When I think back on it, I think his only happiness came from you, Martin. He was thrilled that you shared his interest in clocks." Ruth spoke in her usual dry way until she got to the part about Martin and clocks. Her voice trembled a little and she hoped fervently that they didn't notice. Get a grip for goodness sake!

Martin frowned as he remembered. "Yes, I remember being happy with him and the clocks until Dad or Mummy came into the room. I invariably dropped something and got a scolding for it. How could he be so afraid of Grand-mama and not be afraid of operating on someone?"

"She was a very intimating woman and could say the most _cutting_ things! I think your Dad took after her." Ruth delicately sniffed at the memory of Christopher, Martin's dad. She poured the glasses and asked. "Now, who's for a glass of sherry? I have an announcement to make. Two actually."

Louisa took a glass and looked questioningly at Martin. "I'll just have…" He started to answer and was interrupted by Ruth.

"No, please don't say water! Not this time, Martin. We won't let you drink enough to fall asleep on the table. And wake up with a dog in your arms." Ruth glanced at him and smirked.

Martin blushed and stormed "Gossips! This village is full of them! Don't they have anything better to do with their time?"

Louisa giggled in spite of herself. "But you were very sweet. And cute. That story has become town lore, Martin. May as well get used to it. Come now, have just a small glass. To please Ruth."

He grudgingly took the smallest glass and they looked at Ruth, waiting for her news.

"I'm leaving tomorrow – a week early. They're starting a new study and it's perfect for me. I can't wait to get started." Ruth held up her glass for a toast, and after looking at each other in surprise, Martin and Louisa touched glasses with her.

Louisa said with a smile "We're happy for you, Ruth. We'll miss you terribly but how can we be sad when you're so excited?"

Martin looked at them with confusion. "Yes but why do we have to have sherry? You're leaving a week early. Would we have sherry if you were staying a week longer?"

The women looked at each other wry understanding and they drank their toasts.

"Now, what's the second thing?" Martin inquired.

"Ted, the farm hand, has changed his mind about working the farm. I don't know whether that's something you've been worrying about or not but there it is. But a Mr. Pearce Oates, two farms down the road, would like to lease your pastures for his sheep. Here's his phone number just in case you want to pursue his idea. Now, I'm through. More sherry anyone?" Ruth held up the bottle and Louisa held out her glass.

"You're a dynamo, Ruth!" Said Louisa and she held up her glass for another toast.

Martin nodded in agreement. James Henry woke from his nap and wanted attention. Martin changed his nappy and cleaned him up while Louisa prepared his cereal and bottle.

"Martin, why don't you feed your son while I show Louisa the pictures I discovered." And she led the way upstairs to Martin's and her old bedroom. "Look at these."

Louisa saw that they were pictures of Martin as a baby and all the way to a solemn eleven year old. And to her surprise, pictures of her. A shy six year old helping Uncle Phil feed the sheep, in a school play, receiving an award and so on. "Oh Ruth! These are wonderful! Look at Martin in those wellies! They're two times too big for him. And working on a tractor; and feeding chickens! And there's a dog sharing his lunch. He looks so happy! Thank you. These are worth more than anything!"

She picked up the box containing the pictures and hurried downstairs to show them to Martin. He was explaining to James Henry the importance of chewing your food thoroughly and the baby evidently thought this story from Daddy was the best ever.

"Martin! Look at what Ruth found. Aren't they wonderful?" And Louisa continued to look at them again and again.

Martin looked at the pictures of him with indifference and suggested they be binned. The ones of her, however, he carefully examined. "Now those are worth keeping. Maybe we should get a couple of them blown up and framed."

Louisa looked at him with her mouth open. "Binned? These pictures? They're just as precious to me as James Henry's are. Binned my arse!"

Martin looked at her with disapproval and Ruth laughed.

"Ruth, we'd like to draw some possible plans for renovating the house. Would you join us? I'm sure you're ideas would be helpful." Louisa asked as she retrieved her pad and biro.

"No, I think I'll spend the time with my flirtatious nephew. We'll walk down and see the sheep, well out of smelling distance I think. Au revoir."

She put James Henry in his pram and they left.

"Come look at this wall, Louisa. The odd corner could be a storage closet. Very useful and, without the wall, it would be easier to keep an eye on James Henry while we're in the kitchen."

"Yes, it would. You're not thinking about changing the paneling are you? I'm sure it's original to the house. Mahogany maybe?" Louisa was examining the paneling and observed tiny holes in a dark corner. "Look at these holes. Insect damage I bet."

"Yes, it is mahogany and also original to the house. There was an infestation when I was still coming here. The house was treated and declared 'pest' free. Through here would be the most suitable for the addition, I think. This is an odd little room. Supposed to be an office I think. This is the back wall and somewhere here would be the entrance to the 'all-purpose room'. Look out this window. There's the view you were talking about." Martin was fully engaged in their plans.

"Oh yes! The deck should go from the French doors in that room right 'round to the kitchen. But how?" Louisa puffed out a sigh and continued, "We really need a contractor. Possibly even an architect."

"Yes. Our first meeting is Tuesday evening. With a Peters Danvers." Martin said.

"I think you mean Perran Kenver, my love. Yes and Thursday with Jory Williams. You're on call that night and through the week end. I hope there're no emergencies. And Saturday, with Kitto Carbis. And last is Billy Higgins the following Monday evening. That's four to start out with." Louisa said the last through a yawn.

"You're tired. Let's call it a day." Martin was considerate of her as always.

"Yes, I am. Let's pack the car and then retrieve Ruth and James Henry. Do you think she'll eat breakfast with us before she leaves? We're going to miss her no matter how often she visits." Louisa said through another yawn.

"We can ask. You sit down and I'll take care of packing the car. Would you like a cup of tea while you wait?" He pulled out a chair for her and turned to lift the kettle.

"Thank you but I'm perfectly capable of carrying a few things to the car, Mar-tin! Really!"  
She huffed at him and started folding the play pen.

"Of course you are but you're tired and shouldn't overdo, Louisa!" And he took over folding the play pen. "If you're determined to help, at least choose something not so cumbersome."

"Humph!" She packed the nappy bag and the pie plate, slung them over her shoulder and stomped out.

"Now what have I done?" He sighed and followed her out. "Just a moment and I'll open the trunk." He glanced at her warily and hesitated to offer assistance with loading the nappy bag.

She put the items in the back seat and turned to see his face. "There I go again! He takes such good care of me and the baby and I respond by being a great *dobeck!" She took his arm and whispered "I'm sorry. You're so kind to me and caring. Thank you."

"I like taking care of my family. No thanks are necessary." And he gave her that adoring look that always melted any resentment or anger that she felt.

"There they are." She waved as they walked to meet them. "Hello my lovely son!" She lifted him out of the pram and held him above her head and they smiled and laughed. And Martin scowled at the perceived danger to James Henry.

"Louisa! You could lose your balance. That's very dangerous. Please hold him securely in your arms." Martin was agitated and almost made the mistake of reaching for the baby which would have been a _very_ bad move.

"All right Martin. He's such a love isn't he Ruth?" Louisa asked happily. "Here, go to your Daddy. He won't be at peace until he's holding you." And she spun around with her arms outstretched. "I'm so happy!" She stopped and reached for Ruth's hands. "The only problem I have is you moving away."

"Oh my. This is quiet a turn up. I feel just a little smothered if you don't mind me saying so. Now, let's stop all this and say a proper English good bye." Ruth said in her driest voice.

"Yes, yes. I'm sorry. Good bye Ruth. Have a pleasant journey." And she politely held out her hand.

Ruth took it with her most impassive look. She did the same to Martin. "But, I could be persuaded to join you for breakfast before I leave tomorrow." And she smiled that dry smile that was so Ruth.

Refusing to take the bait, he replied with a bland look, "That will be most satisfactory. What time?" And Louisa shook her head in amusement.


	54. Chapter 54

Chapter 54

The trip home was silent. Martin wore his usual scowl and Louisa looked frustrated. But James Henry put all thoughts of the house out of their heads. It seemed that he changed every day and was developing a personality. Louisa was sure they had a flirt and prankster and Martin was sure that he was intelligent. (Typical parents don't you think?)

They fed him, spent some play/educational time with him, bathed him, one more feeding and Daddy rocked him to sleep. This time he talked about the different styles of architecture and the benefits of each one. As usual, the sound of his father's voice lulled the baby to sleep. Louisa took the opportunity to take her shower and finish her ablutions for the night.

After he showered and put his pj's on, he joined Louisa in the lounge with tea for both of them. She had drawn the layout of the house and made copies of it. She did the same with just a rectangle.

"Ready to draw some tentative plans?" She took her mug of tea and said, "Thanks love."

He nodded and frowned at the drawing of the house. His method was different from hers. He studied the actual house plan, then started grading the garden to accommodate the addition.

She looked at the actual plan as she sketched out her ideas but she started on the upstairs. For instance, an en suite bedroom with a walk in closet. One small bedroom would have to be sacrificed but they still would have three good sized bedrooms. Their room faced the coast and a bay window with a bench to sit on and look out at the view would be so-o-o nice.

The room across the hall would be perfect for James Henry's room. All it needed was fresh paint and the floors done. Big enough for him to grow in to.

She had no intention of trying to design their kitchen – Martin's dream kitchen. The rest of the downstairs was easy. She took that odd little room and added it to the boiler room. On the other side of the boiler room she added the lavatory. Then the entrance to the addition. Basically, just a big room with another lavatory, lots of windows and French doors leading to the deck. The deck stretched all the way 'round to the exterior entrance of the boiler room. Now she was ready to show Martin her ideas.

He finished his drawing of the grading and made a note that the exterior material of the addition must match the house. He then turned his attention to the kitchen and boiler room. They would heat and cook with gas and, without the old boiler, they had a large pantry/storage room. Part of the space could be the lavatory they had talked about. The rest of the house he left to Louisa. Since his needs were simple, whatever she wanted to do was fine with him. And, he had explicit trust in her judgment. But the kitchen! By careful measuring and space management, he determined that he could have the kitchen any cook would relish.

She finished her notes and drawing and sat quietly watching Martin finished his. He turned to her and asked, "Are you finished? Ok, you go first."

She showed him her ideas and he nodded often in agreement. "Well done. I like making our bedroom larger and I particularly like the way the deck goes 'round to the kitchen. I don't think I can offer any ideas that are better. Now, about the boiler room. I think our best option is to heat and cook with propane gas. It's a little more expensive but it's warm and reliable. We need to talk to the utility company about the best place to locate the tank. That means that, with the boiler gone, we'll have a good sized room to us a pantry and storage room. And, part of it will be devoted to the lavatory. Moving on to the kitchen area. It's similar to what we talked about before. A kitchen supply store will have samples of counter tops, cabinets, appliances and so forth. Now, we prioritize."

She flipped to a page in her notebook. "Already started. We talked about: new heating system, new windows, insulation, having the well and chimneys checked, new wiring and plumbing as the necessities. But, we need to plan the wiring and plumbing so it will fit in with the addition.

Second list: remodel the kitchen

Third list: remodel the upstairs

Forth list: the addition

And finally: how do we want to treat the floors, choose paint colors.

"You've certainly given this a lot of thought! Again, well done. But, make the second list remodel the upstairs. I want that to come before the kitchen." Martin said.

She looked at him tenderly, "Not necessary, my love. Haven't you heard that the kitchen is the heart of the home?"

He gave her the look of absolute adoration that was reserved just for her and their son and lifted his arm in silent invitation for her to snuggle up next to him. She put her papers down and scooted close to him and put her arm around his waist.

He went on with their plans. "I contacted the bank to pre-qualify for a loan and that's going well. I think, being conservative, that we have $##### available from our savings and we can borrow more if necessary. But, should we? Think about keeping our money and use the banks."

Now that was a new thought. She nodded and said, "Yes. The interest rates are so low that's the wiser choice."

He nodded in acknowledgement of her answer. "Have you decided what you're going to do with your cottage? And, we still have to decide about this house."

"I think we should use my cottage as a vacation rental. They're in high demand you know and the location is perfect! That series that's being filmed here for the telly is increasing our tourist trade astronomically! I know you haven't watched it but it's quite good. It's about a doctor and his troubles living in this village. I've been checking on it and my mortgage payment is $## a month. We can easily make that and a lot more by renting it out. We don't need to do anything except maybe freshen it up. Tourists seem to want 'authentic' Cornwall. The realtor who helped me purchase it, Conan Davies, will handle the business end of renting it. He charges a reasonable commission and is very strict about damage deposits. What do you think?" She tried her best to be calm and not influence his decision but, even as obtuse as he could be, he could see that her plan excited her.

"I think it's a reasonable plan. And, if it doesn't work out we can always sell it later." His reward for that remark was a wide smile and little fluttering kisses on his neck. Blushing, he hur-rumped and continued. "We still have to decide about this place. Do I continue to use it as the surgery or sell it and rent some place smaller with better…no, that won't work. I meant to say with better parking. In the village, there is no 'better parking'. I think my best option is to carry on here. Agree?"

She had gotten distracted by his blush. He was so adorable when he did that! And his voice! No wonder James Henry was fascinated with it. And the skin on his neck was so soft – almost as soft as his lips.

When she didn't answer, he twisted his head so he could see her face. Her eyes were narrowed and her lips were moist and parted. Before he knew it, her leg was draped over his and her hand was on his neck pulling his face towards hers. It's safe to say that all conversation about things as boring as real estate left both their thoughts. They were engaged in a much more entertaining custom.

The next morning Martin woke early as was his habit. Remembering the activities from last night made his muscles clinch and he whispered "Damn! So good!" Louisa curled up against him and her skin was so soft! And the perfume that emanated from her teased his senses. The heavy rain outside beat against the windows and the cold and damp permeated the air in the house. Glad she skipped the leisure center this morning. James Henry woke and made soft, little babbling noises. Martin rose quickly, visited the loo and went to care for the baby. "Good morning. Let's get you cleaned up and go downstairs for breakfast. Hush now, we don't to disturb Mommy." James Henry grabbed his feet, tried to roll over, giggled and generally made changing his soaking nappy very difficult. "It's like changing a worm! You're certainly in a good mood." Martin carried him downstairs, fed him and fixed espresso for himself. It was wet and cold outside. A big change from yesterday's weather. He sat deep in thought about the position in Truro. He should hear from them one way or the other by the end of next week. He and Louisa were in reasonably good financial condition but more income would make things easier. The whole renovation could be completed at once instead piecemeal. Louisa came into the kitchen dressed in her thick housecoat, baggy flannel pj's and Uggs. Not the most attractive outfit but warm.

Louisa looked out of the streaming window and said, "This is bad weather for Ruth to be driving. I'm going to call her." Her call went straight to voice mail, "Ruth, this is Louiser. Call me when you get this message, please." At that moment, Ruth knocked on the door.

"Hot coffee, please!" She uttered through chattering teeth. Her raincoat dripped on the floor and her shoes were soaked. "My umbrella blew open. The wind is fierce!"

Martin moved quickly to help her remove her coat, Louisa grabbed a towel for her and poured her coffee. Then she ran upstairs to get a blanket and pair of dry house shoes.

Ruth, bundled up in the blanket, drank the hot coffee, "Thank you. The heater in my car stopped working and it's so cold. This storm moved in so quickly! I guess I got spoiled by the mild winter we've had so far."

James Henry decided that he wasn't getting the required amount of attention and adoration from his auntie and decided to protest. "Oh, I'm sorry little nephew. As soon as I thaw out, I'll pick you up." She said as she patted his tummy.

Martin picked him up and the crying stopped immediately – just little sniffles as he stared woefully at Ruth. "Gawd, those eyes! I feel like a monster. Let me have him, Martin. It'll be a while until I hold him again." He sat happily on her lap and pulled at her necklace.

"Ruth, you can't possibly drive today in this weather. Especially with your car malfunctioning. Consider staying here while it's repaired. Surely there's no definite time for you to start, is there?" Louisa was almost pleading with her.

"Since I'm not feeble minded, Louisa, I quite realize my predicament! I called the garage as soon as I parked the car. Les is opening early for me and will pick it up shortly." Ruth said sharply and added in a friendlier tone, "He's really not a bad chap at all." .

"That's satisfactory then. I'll prepare breakfast if you'll tell me what you'd like to have. Scrambled eggs, soft boiled with soldiers, porridge?"

"Um-m. I think hot porridge with raisins and honey sounds good. If you don't have that, plain will do." Ruth stage whispered while glancing at Martin, "I dare not ask for clotted cream!"

"I'm afraid you will be disappointed if you really want that artery clogging tosh. But, we do have honey and raisins. Much healthier choice." He said as he got the items she requested out of the pantry.

Ruth tucked into her breakfast. She refused to let Martin or Louisa take the baby, holding him and eating at the same time very successfully. "That was delicious! You know, I'm an intelligent woman. Dare I say, very intelligent but, for the life of me, I can't make a decent bowl of porridge! I'm reduced to using that foul instant 'oatmeal'." She said with a shudder.

Louisa chuckled at that and told her, "I was the same way until Martin taught me to cook. I'll never be quite as good as he is, though."

Martin said with a snort, "Nonsense! You're an excellent cook and a creative one. I would not, however, recommend your tofu pasties."

Ruth looked at him suspiciously. Did Martin make a joke?

Louisa interpreted that look and confirmed what he said. "Yes, Ruth. I actually tried to make pasties with tofu. As he said, for god's sake, don't try them!"

Les knocked on the door to let Ruth know he was taking her car. The wind and rain seemed to be letting up a little and she sighed with relief.

"I must go get ready to open the surgery. I'll see you before you leave." Martin stroked the baby's head and left the room.

"Louisa, I have another idea for you two to consider. The tenants house is in good shape – just needs some TLC. Why not rent it out to the tourists instead of letting it sit empty? I would think that you'd get a fair amount for it. Three bedrooms, two fireplaces, the kitchen is delightfully old-fashioned and the view is spectacular. And, it's mostly furnished. Just a thought, dear." Ruth said as she drank her third cup of coffee.

"That's an excellent idea! And the house is far enough away from the farm house so visitors wouldn't affect our privacy. You know, we're thinking about renting out my cottage, too. And, it Martin gets the position in Truro, we can rent this place, too." Louisa looked excited and eager as she spoke.

Ruth said in that dry voice, "Well, you're not real estate tycoons yet but you're off to a good start. Will you manage them?"

"No, I'm going to ask Conan Davies to handle it. I've known him for years. He's dependable and honest and doesn't charge a huge fee either. I think Martin would agree with me that we don't want our holiday guests to know about us." Louisa replied.

"Very sensible. You know, I'm going to miss my smallest nephew very much. I was too involved with my career to think too much about Martin to my everlasting regret. I depend on you to keep in touch with me – face book, texts, email, Skyp – all of them. Lots of pictures, too." Ruth said seriously.

"I promise. We want him to know you, too. And Martin needs you, Ruth. You understand and relate to him in a way that I never can. He's still got some memory issues, you know, but he's come so far!" Louisa said as she started clearing the table.

Ruth was quiet for several moments, then just nodded. The baby had gone to sleep in her arms and she continued to hold him making the most of the time she had with him.

Her cell phone started sounding her ring tone and she quickly answered it. Mustn't wake the baby! It was Les and he told her that the car was a simple, quick fix and he would return it shortly. And more useful information – the weather was clearing quickly. "Really, Louisa, this village has its characters and more than a few quirky ones but, mostly, they are the best that I've met anywhere."

"Totally agree with you. As you know, I grew up here. I feel like the whole village is my family." Louisa turned from the dishwasher and smiled at the sleeping baby. She grabbed her phone and took a picture of that scene. "This will be a keeper and added to the arrangement I'm thinking about. Want to see?" She held out the phone and Ruth just grunted (in a lady like way of course!)

Martin entered the kitchen just as Les knocked on the door.

"Come in, Les. Good to see you. Want a cuppa?" Louisa asked cordially.

"No thankee, Louiser. I'm in a right teasy mood 'is mornin'. Pizan dawn and freezin' ta boot! Well, here's 'um keys, Dotter Ellinghem. Wasn't a serious problem. Easy ta fix. How's 'bout $20 quid. Fair?" Les was a no nonsense, straight to the point man and expected the same from other people.

So, Ruth replied. "Giss on! That don't be enough for yer trouble. Simple fradge or not, I be givin' you $30 quid. Fair?"

Les looked at her, slowly grinning, "'Ess, that be fair. You're a good-un, Doc, sure 'nough. You just call ol' Les when you need'im. I'll be there." He cheerfully took the money, pulled up his hood and ran to the waiting car.

Martin looked at Ruth in amazement. "What in the world was that all about? And what does ' _giss on_ ' mean? And ' _fradge_ '?"

"Well Martin, when in Rome… Louisa can interpret for you. Now, it's time for me to leave. And, before you say anything, Les assured me that the weather is clearing! Here, take the baby. And do try not to wake him." She stood and asked for her shoes. Louisa had put them in the oven on low heat so they were toasty warm and dry. "Oh, that's quite nice. Now my coat and I'll say goodbye."

Louisa embraced her and whispered "Please come back often. We'll miss you dreadfully!"

Ruth cleared her throat and turned to embrace Martin. "What are you doing?" He asked sounding alarmed.

"Oh Martin, do be still. It's just a small embrace. Not even a kiss on the cheek. Now, goodbye. Be safe, be well and keep in touch." She gently stroked the baby's back and quickly left the room with Louisa's goodbye and "You be safe!" ringing in her ears.


	55. Chapter 55

Chapter 55

Martin stood, obviously waiting for Louisa to translate the strange things Ruth said.

"Ok, teasy means in a bad mood, pizan dawn means raining really hard, giss on means don't be foolish and fradge means repair. I think it's fun to hear her talk Cornish to us. Don't you?"

"Humph!" And mumbled, "Unintelligible tosh!" As he left to open the surgery.

Martin closed the surgery at twelve and followed his nose to the kitchen. The smell made his stomach growl. A bubbling pot of soup was on the cooker and there was some sort of bread cooling on the counter. He went upstairs searching for Louisa and found her in the nursery changing the baby. She turned and saw him and indicated that he should join them. When James saw his father, as usual, he kicked, grinned and tried to turn over. "James, do be still and let Mommy change that disgusting nappy." James just giggled and continued kicking. By this time Louisa was an expert and handled the situation with aplomb.

"Now silly boy, go to your father and let me finish preparing lunch." And she kissed Martin and went to the kitchen.

"I'm very hungry James so a little time in your playpen sounds like an acceptable place for you to be." James answered by nuzzling his father's neck and trying to kick.

As soon as he was put in the playpen, he started rolling over and pulling on the bars. That was so entertaining!

Louisa had steaming hot bowls of vegetable soup and crispy rolls on the table. He washed up quickly, got their water and started eating. After the edge was off his appetite, he stopped eating long enough to compliment her on the meal. "Have you started making bread? These are very good."

"It's an easy recipe that Penny gave me. Only four ingredients. What did you have planned for this afternoon?" She asked eagerly.

"Why? Do you have something in mind? Remember you're going out with Gwendolyn and some other women tonight." He said as he got them both more water.

She grinned and answered, " _Caroline_! Yes, I remember so, do you have anything planned?"

"Just tell me what you've got in mind, please." He said matter-of-factly.

"Why don't we drive to Truro and visit a kitchen supply store? And a paint store. Just to see what's available." She asked with bright and eager eyes.

"Yes. An acceptable use of our time." He replied as he walked to the lounge door to check on James Henry. Still rolling around and evidently loving it.

The phone rang and it was Al. "Hey Sis. Morwenna and I have some plans to talk to you about. When's a good time for you?"

"Come to lunch tomorrow? Guess what we're having. You got it - fish. But a good recipe. How about it?" She always smiled when she talked to Al.

She could hear him talking to Morwenna and he came back on the phone, "Sure. How about we bring a vegetable casserole? It's from the 'healthy' cookbook so Doc should be ok with it."

"Dearvim!* One o'clock. See you then." She turned to Martin and "That was Al. He and Morwenna will be here for lunch tomorrow so we have to get more fish. They have some ideas for Bert's party. If we're going, let's go. I'm excited about the kitchen." She started packing things for James Henry and got out his warm bunny suit. The sun had come out but it was still cold and windy. Martin got the pram and Louisa's warm coat and scarf. He put his overcoat and scarf on, took the pram out to the car and started it so the interior would be warm when they all got in it.

"Here, let me help with your coat. The car will be warm so let's just wrap James Henry in the blanket Ruth used. We don't want him to be too warm." Martin, in his usual calm and capable way, made sure her coat was securely fastened , organized and got them out of the house and into the warm car.

"Have you thought any more about the kitchen?" She asked as she got her ever present pad and biro out.

"Yes. I've scaled it back. We really don't need a five burner stove and double ovens. Auntie Joan's stove just needs a little refurbishing and we can continue to use it. I do, however, want a large refrigerator and a new sink. We said we wouldn't change it too much so I want to keep everything as it is as much as possible, especially the cabinets. You know they're original to the house?" He glanced at her as he spoke.

"No, I didn't know that. The house is over two hundred years old, isn't it? So they're truly antiques. I wonder what kind of wood they're made of. Would it be worth finding out? Or do you like the way they are now?" She was envisioning more mahogany or even some rare wood brought in on the pirate ships.

"It's very likely to be Cornish Elm. They were quite common in Cornwall years ago and the timber was valued for strength and was often used to build houses here. I believe there's some unpainted wood that you can see at the back of the cabinets. I don't think the appearance is noteworthy; hence whatever's built from it is usually painted. It we get them sanded and repainted, they'll do very well. The counter tops and floor need replacing and what do you think about trying to fit in an island?"

They continued to plan and talk about the remodeling, both throwing out ideas and, if they had possibilities, she put them down on her list.

The kitchen supply store had innovative displays that tempted customers to often buy more than they had planned. Martin had specific ideas and continued on till he found them. "This is the sink; deep, large and white." The refrigerators aisles were next and he walked up and down them studying the choices. "This is it; roomy enough, and is a good vintage reproduction that will match the rest of the kitchen very well. And it's white."

She wrote the information about each item down in her notebook and said "Let's go to the paint department next. So many beautiful colors!"

His expression looked doubtful and, seeing it, she responded, "Don't worry! I bet you think that bright white would do all over the house. Not for me! But, I have some ideas that will be a good compromise. Just trust me."

He could see that she had put a good deal of thought into her choices and determined to be co-operative. The problem was, how did one do that? The more he thought about it, the deeper his scowl got. Again she noticed his expression. Her eyebrows drew together, her lips got tight, "Mar-tin! Relax! I won't do anything that'll make you uncomfortable. If I do, just say so. Ok?"

He tried to relax his face, thinking that he trusted her explicitly, so show it. He nodded and picked up a color chart and started studying it.

"No, no! Not that one. Here, look at this one. See the warm whites? And these soft hues? What do you think?" She was anxious for him to agree. He wanted so much to please her so he pretended to study the choices and nodded. Gawd! Why were simple things like this so hard?

"Yes, these are acceptable. I especially like this one for the kitchen. And this one for our bedroom." That was as much as he could do. He started feeling nervous and that made him scowl again and perspire.

Her patience was wearing thin and she put her hands on her hips, glared at him and said with a raised voice. "Really Mar-tin! I didn't make any complaints or suggestions about what you chose! What's so wrong with mine? Can you speak or just glare at me?"

He, in turn, raised his voice, "Of course I can speak! You asked if I trusted your judgment and I do! So why do you insist that I do this?"

"Because I…" She looked at him; really looked at him. Under that scowl, he was so vulnerable and insecure. "I'm sorry. You've picked out the most important colors. I'll do the rest and they'll be in the same vein." She placed her hand on his arm and said sincerely, "Thank you, Martin. I like your choices and think they'll do very well. Ok?"

She started to walk off but stopped when he didn't follow. She looked at him quizzically and he asked, "Do you _want_ to complain about my choices? We'll live with them a long time so they should be approved by both of us."

Aware of his dislike of public displays of affection, she stepped to his side and put her hand on his arm. "No, of course not. You should be impatient _with me_ because I expected you to act totally out of character and that's not fair. I think your choices are spot on. I promise to make _my_ choices spot on with your excellent taste." She smiled and asked, "Forgive me?"

Visibly relaxing, he gave a small nod and placed his hand on hers. James Henry decided that he needed attention and let them know it

The drive home was quiet. He kept glancing at her with the strangest expression. It almost – now this is Martin remember – looked tender and loving. She could live with bright white in every room of the house if he looked at her like that every day!

She spoke as they pulled into the parking area of the surgery. "I've got to hurry if I don't want to be late tonight. It'll be good to see the girls again. Oh, don't forget we have to get more fish for tomorrow. I can make more of the bread we had today if you want. Al dearly loves bread. I think he could live off it!"

"A very unhealthy diet. And fattening. You go ahead and unlock the door and I'll bring James."

She rushed upstairs and quickly changed her clothes and applied make-up. She wore the soft red sweater that was Martin's favorite and a pair of tight jeans. "Not bad for a forty year old Mommy!" She thought as she looked in the mirror. The look on his face confirmed her thoughts - much to her delight.

She kissed him and whispered "I'll be careful and shouldn't be too late coming home. Bye, little man. Mommy loves you." Caroline was waiting for her and she quickly got in the warm car.

She had a delightful evening gossiping and drinking wine with her friends. But in the back of her mind, she thought about her family safe and warm at home. God, she loved them so much! Martin spent the evening caring for James and reading his BMJ's and the latest lancet. At the back of his mind, he thought of Louisa. He wished she was at home with him safe and warm.

He took his shower and went back downstairs dressed in a warm robe with his thickest house shoes on his feet. He kept looking at his watch wondering when she would be home. The house felt so empty without her in spite of James Henry asleep upstairs. At eleven o'clock he heard a car. "Finally! I can't imagine what she's been doing all this time. Not too late! Humph!" He fumed and went to the door to let her in. It was a local taxi with three women in it."What in the world?" Louisa ran up the steps and into the warm house.

"Hello love. It's fecking freezing out there!" She stomped her feet and wrapped her coat tightly around her. "Tea! I need tea!"

"You're much later than you said you would be. And why were you in a cab?" He grumbled as he quickly put the kettle on.

"I know but we were having so much fun just talking. I laughed until my stomach hurt at some of their stories! As to the taxi, Caroline had a little too much wine and didn't feel safe driving. Ugh! It's so cold and my feet are freezing!" She said as she sat, still bundled up in her coat.

While he waited for the kettle to boil, he slipped her coat off her shoulders and rubbed her arms and back briskly and, with an 'I told you so look', he stared derisively at her stylish but totally inadequate shoes for cold, wet weather. He actually had the good sense to keep his mouth shut about them. Score one for Martin!

"Thank you love. That feels so good! How did you and James Henry do? Did he go to sleep alright?" She asked as she leaned her head back against his warm, solid frame.

"Absolutely fine. We didn't miss you at all." He moved away to tend to their tea and missed the hurt look on her face. He put her hot water and the assorted tea bags in front of her and sat down across from her. Then he saw her face. "What's wrong? Are you still cold? Shall I get a blanket for you?" And started to rise to get one.

She started to berate him for that unfeeling remark but stopped when she looked at his face – concerned and bewildered – and remembered that he had met her at the door complaining that she was late. Remember the list, Louisa! Regardless of what he said, his demeanor showed otherwise. She was missed. "No, I'm fine. My toes are numb, that's all." She replied with a tender smile.

"I'll go upstairs and bring you your warm house shoes." He continued to move away from the table as he spoke.

"No love. I'll take my tea upstairs with me and finish it there. I'll soon be warm." She rose and he helped her remove her coat and scarf, hung them carefully in the closet and they went upstairs. She finished her tea, climbed into bed and snuggled up against his warmth. Her cold skin against him made his jump. "Gawd! You are freezing!" He wrapped his arms around her and they slept secure in each other's closeness.

*good of him to do it


	56. Chapter 56 doc

Chapter 56

When she woke, she was alone. Her feet hit the freezing floor and she quickly dressed again in the warm clothes she had on when Ruth came for breakfast. Remembering Martin's tenderness last night, she smiled a little and thought for at least the hundredth time how lucky she and James Henry were to have such a wonderful man in their lives. No matter what, he would care for his family. Cummas 'zon!* She was getting maudlin and he would hate that and be embarrassed.

Martin and the baby were in the kitchen, both dressed and eating breakfast when she made an appearance. She smiled, "Good morning, you two! Hey, love. You look happy today." She stroked the baby's grinning face and felt Martin's hand on her forehead. She looked at him and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Just wanted to make sure you didn't suffer any ill effects from being so cold last night. You seem fine." He said while studying her face. "I didn't prepare your breakfast since I thought you might sleep in."

"I'm from good Cornish stock, remember. A little cold weather won't hurt me. And, it's ok. I just want some cereal this morning." She stood behind him and, with her arms around him, rested her head on top of his for a moment. "Want some more espresso?"

"No thanks. I must get dressed for work. Full schedule today so we may keep the surgery open a little longer than usual." He rose and felt the baby's forehead, kissed her and disappeared upstairs.

She sat down with cereal and coffee and her phone rang. It was Rebecca Sims and after the normal pleasantries, she broke the news. "I'm so sorry, Louisa, but I'm going to cancel Tuesday morning. I've just been elected president of the quilt guild I was telling you about and so much of my time will be devoted to that. Plus, our sewing group has received an urgent request for children's clothing for the students at one of the schools in Africa that our church sponsors. I didn't mean to mislead you and the Doc but I didn't anticipate these extra demands on my time. All right?"

"Of course it's all right. I must admit that I'm disappointed but that's the way it is and I think it's wonderful that your group would take on the expense and responsibility of sewing for children in need. Do you by chance know of anyone else that I could talk to?" Louisa asked hopefully.

"I can't think of anyone right now except a couple of teenagers. The problem is, just about anyone you find that would be acceptable to the Doc will want more hours than you're offering. But, I'll keep my eyes and ears open and be in touch if I think of someone. Goodbye now." And she was gone.

Louisa huffed a big sigh and looked at the suddenly unappealing cold, soggy cereal. She hadn't wanted to advertise for a baby minder but how may be forced to. As to the hours offered, she just didn't want to or plan on being away from the baby any longer than originally planned. James passed gas and it evidently tickled him because, after the comical surprised looked on his face, he grinned and kicked. He stared at his Mommy to see if she noticed the funny thing that had just happened but, for once, her attention was on something else besides him. Oh well, maybe it would happen to him again.

Martin reappeared in the kitchen just as the phone rang again. "Hello. May I speak with either Mr. or Mrs. Ellingham please. Yes Mrs. Ellingham, this is Perran Kenver. I have an appointment with you and your husband this Tuesday evening to discuss a renovation project. I'm going to have to cancel. I've just gotten a huge contract that will take all my time for the next several months. I usually don't renege on appointments but this is just too big to pass up. Good luck on your renovation. Good bye."

He spoke quickly and hung up before she had a chance to reply. "Well! That's a turn up! I hope nobody else calls with bad news." Martin looked quizzical but before she could tell him the news, the phone rang again. The caller was Kitto Carbis and the conversation was a repeat of the last.

With a stunned expression, she exclaimed, "Wankers! What else is going to happen?" The phone rang again. She glared at it and answered. "Hey, Louiser? Yeah, 'is Billy Higgins. Need to ask you a favor, lover. The doctors is goin' to do a cecel… no, a ceasel… well, shite! They be takin' my daughter's babe that Sad-urdee unless she drops it afore then. So, can we reschedule 'ur appointment? I hate to ask but I figure you be knowin' how emergencies be."

"Of course we can! We just had a cancellation this Tuesday evening. Can you come then?" She asked eagerly.

"Bet that be either Kitto or Kenver. There be a big buildin' project in Wadebridge. A lot of them turist cabins. I be guessin' that all these new emmets swarming the place be good for business. That show on telly about the doc moving here sure be bringin' 'em in." He said in a gossipy and friendly way.

"Yes, I'm sure you're right. All the local businesses tell me they're doing a booming trade. And you're right, both Kitto and Kenver cancelled on us." She looked at Martin as she spoke. He shook his head in mild disgust, pointed to his watch and left for the surgery. "That leaves you and Jory Williams."

"You and me be knowin' each other a long time, right? Well, I can tell you that Jory Williams is a right shite! Promises a way more'n he can deliver and does some shitety work, too. Now, I'um can tell'ee some more, whatucall, reliable contractors if 'um needs'um." He said.

"No, that's all right. I appreciate you telling me about Mr. Williams. I'll cancel that appointment as soon as we hang up." She said as she put her phone on speaker and picked up a whining baby.

"Be that yur lit'le one? Aw, Bert be braggin' all over the village about 'em. I'em will be a proud grand-daddy, too. You kin bet on that! Now, when we meet, I'um have a suggestion for'ee. Just keep an open mind. Ok?" He said in a teasing voice.

"Well, yes, of course. Now you've got me really curious! We'll see you Tuesday evening at 7:00. Yes, tell Elaine I'll be thinking of her. Bye bye now." She took the baby upstairs for a clean nappy and thought, "What a morning! Now we're down to one! Well, at least I know him and he does excellent work."

She, James Henry and Buddy went for their morning walk well wrapped up against the cold. Bert saw them coming and ushered them quickly into the restaurant. "Mornin' lovers. How's my grand-son, ey? Come'ere lit'le un. Oh Louiser, he gets more 'andsome every day! Want some tea, love?"

"No thanks. I want to tell you that two of the contractors cancelled on us, Billy Higgins says that the other one is shite, so that leaves us with Billy. We have an appointment Tuesday evening with him. Did you know about his daughter?" She asked.

"Yea, that be a lit'le worryin'. But, if 'er doc is half as good as our Doc, she'll be fine," Of course Bert knew all the news. "And don't you worry about Billy. He'um does fine work."

"I know but Martin wanted quotes from other contractors. And to hear their ideas. But, we'll just take Billy and I'm sure we'll be happy with the work." She said smiling. "We've got to go to the fish market for tomorrow's lunch. Love you." She kissed his cheek and he gave her and the baby final hugs. Buddy got a treat this time – a Stotty left over from yesterday's lunch. He hungrily gobbled it up.

She bought the fish, went to the grocers and bought a chicken and hurried home to prepare lunch. Left over soup and cheese sandwiches would be good. For their dinner, she would roast the chicken. Martin was late closing the surgery and, before he could eat lunch, had to go out on an emergency call. By the time he got home, the chicken was roasted along with the vegetables. She made more of the bread that he liked and prepared apple crumble with sharp cheese for afters.

He came in the door covered with cold, wet and smelly mud. His shoes were caked with it, too. "Please get my pj's and robe. I'll undress in the laundry room so as not to smear mud all over the house."

James Henry heard his father's voice and squealed with delight. What's this? He didn't come in to see me. Not acceptable! He started whimpering and quickly escalated to a wail.

She hurried to get the requested items plus a pair of warm socks and his house shoes. He had stripped down to his vest and underpants and was washing up in the loo. She quickly handed him the requested items and left to pick up the disappointed baby. "Oh Martin! You must be freezing! What happened to you?"

"A farmer's cows got startled by a stupid prank from some god awful delinquents. He got knocked down and severely trampled on. All but one of the children ran away but one stayed, called me and an ambulance. He had the good sense to not move the patient but just tried to keep him calm. He also said he tried to stop the others and volunteered to take care of the stock until the farmer gets out of the hospital. As for me, I slipped and fell down." He said as she helped him with his house coat.

Now, the routine James Henry expected. Daddy felt his head and took him in a warm embrace. He rested his head in Daddy's warm neck and was happy.

"Well, that was unfortunate! I know you can't tell me who the farmer is but who's the boy?" Louisa led the way to the kitchen as she spoke.

"He said Mick Carantok. Seems to be an intelligent, responsible boy." He sat down with the baby on his lap and continued, "He said he's interested in becoming a doctor. I said I'd help any way I can."

She nodded and said, "I had him in my class when I was a teacher. From a good family, very intelligent and mature for his age. Sit down and I'll fix your plate. I bought the fish for tomorrow by the way. Some more cod, really fresh."

"Hum-m-m, this smells good. Thank you. James Henry, you sit in your usual seat and keep us company. Ok?" And he ate with relish. "It tastes as good as it smells. Well done."

She dipped her head regally in acknowledgement of his compliment and put the kettle on. They drank their tea and she told him the news of the day. "So, we've ended up with Billy anyway. I spoke to Bert about it and he highly recommends Billy. Said we can count on him."

Martin nodded and she continued by telling him about her conversation with Mrs. Sims. "And she said that, since we're offering so few hours, we're going to have trouble finding anyone. So, what do you think; advertise or ask around again?"

"She wasn't _our_ baby minder since neither of us had made a commitment. As to the hours, I'm not comfortable even with the few you talked about. I'll agree with anything you want to do but I do have my preferences. I _prefer_ that you delay your projects until he's older." He said calmly.

With her eyes narrowed, "How old? Two, three, twelve or twenty. You knew I had plans to keep involved in the village."

Seeing her expression, he sighed, "I know but I still have my opinions. You and I are the best caretakers of our son until he starts pre-school. That's just three years. But, as I stated, it's your decision."

Without speaking, she started clearing the table and he jumped up to help. They worked silently and he waited for her to tell him off. Instead of that, she plopped down and held her head between her hands. "I feel so guilty! I feel that I should want to do the things I've lined up but I don't. Not yet. I'm so happy taking care of him and everything else that goes along with it."

He stood at the sink with his hands twitching, very unsure what he was supposed to do. "You shouldn't feel guilty for wanting to take care of your family. If my opinion counts, every woman who has the means should decide for themselves if they are stay at home mothers or whatever else they choose to be." He hesitated and then said, "We have the means, Louisa."

She nodded, rose and they continued to clean the kitchen. She leaned against him and whispered, "I've said it over and over again –we're so lucky to have you as my husband and his father. Thank you."

As usual, he struggled with what to say in reply. Finally, he settled on a nod and kissed the top of her head.

They spent the evening taking care of James Henry. After he was fed and rocked to sleep, Martin read his medical journals and she read items on the upcoming seminars for teachers. She could at least keep up on the latest news.


	57. Chapter 57

Chapter 57

Louisa woke early and left for the leisure center. She planned on coming back in time to start breakfast before Martin and James Henry came downstairs. At the same time, Martin planned on having a hot, nourishing breakfast ready for her when she returned. He won and she walked into a warm kitchen smelling of espresso and – wonder of wonders – bacon! Her stomach growled loudly and she smiled broadly, kissed Martin and James Henry and poured their coffee.

"I meant to do this for you! And bacon! Thank you so much. You didn't leave anything for me to do!" She exclaimed happily.

"Except eat. Sit down and get started." He demanded.

She had bacon – a rare treat! Even Martin ate some. Nothing smells better than bacon in the morning! They both had cheese omelets and toast, and sat enjoying their coffee and reading the paper. James Henry played happily in his play pen.

Al and Morwenna came with their casserole ready for the oven. Martin volunteered to finish cooking the meal while they talked sitting around the kitchen table drinking tea.

Al spoke of their plans. "Well, we thought we'd keep it simple. We can reserve the hall, I have volunteers ready to set up the tables and chairs, the Women's Society will bring covered dishes, the restaurant will furnish two barrels of cider, I ordered the cake from Chough's Bakery and the Cornish Fishermen will sing for us. What do you think?"

Morwenna smiled and nodded as the plans were revealed. Louisa was slightly stunned. "Simple? This is amazing! I agree with all of it! What can I do?"

Morwenna answered, "Just be on hand. The drinks have to be organized, cups, plates, napkins, ice, plastic wear. I plan on taking care of that. You know, the usual stuff."

Louisa asked again, "Wonderful but again, what can I do?"

Relieved that all their plans met her approval, Al told her, "Get Dad there somehow without him knowing why. Can you do that?"

Martin interjected, "Yes, of course we can. Will you let us pay for the cake at least?"

Al tried to hide his surprise that Doc was even interested much less being willing to help. Seeing his face, Morwenna moved to help him and answered, "Doc, that'd be great. And a big help, too. It's a smashing cake! Wait'll you see it."

Louisa asked, "What time and when? His birthday is on Thursday. And what about the restaurant? Who'll run it?"

Now Al could answer, "We're going to have a sort of 'fake' birthday for him on Thursday. If you all could be there, it'd be great. The real party will be Saturday and start at 6:00. You know that people will just show up so the party will last until the food runs out. As to the restaurant, we'll close it for the night after you get him away from it. I know it's tricky but you and the Doc are up to it. As to his present, I'm getting a picture of Mom restored and framed for him. It's always been his favorite one but has gotten a little shabby. What are you getting him?"

"He's going to be loaded up with pictures! We're going to Keith Riley's to get a family photo taken and some of James Henry. I thought he'd like that." She responded.

Al and Morwenna nodded in agreement. "Yes, zackly that."

The food was excellent and Martin fully approved of the vegetable casserole. Louisa's Sticky Toffee Pudding was a definite hit. Martin had a small piece without the whipped cream and declared it to be delicious. Afterwards, they sat in the lounge playing with James Henry and catching up on the latest village news. The plans for improving the farmhouse were a rich topic of conversation and Morwenna in particular had some interesting ideas about the landscaping. Martin listened to her attentively and, since he was comfortable around both of them, voluntarily entered in the conversation with intelligent, pithy remarks. It was a pleasant afternoon for all of them. Al commented later to Morwenna that no one in the village would believe that the Doc could be such good company. She smirked back with a 'Didn't I tell you so?'

James Henry didn't want the entertainment to end. He loved his Uncle Al and Morwenna and the attention they gave him. His Daddy had to read two stories before he settled into sleep. The parents relaxed on the sofa while she watched that show about the doctor who moved to the village and caused such disruption and he read an article describing the latest in surgery. Before he would have been disturbed by her chuckling but now he barely noticed it. When he did, a slight smile crossed his face. It was such a pretty sound!

They spent a quiet Sunday with the wind beating the sides of their sturdy little house. The weather had turned nasty again and the waves crashed through the harbor. The wind whipped through the narrow streets and cut to the bone of anyone who ventured out of doors. Neither of them ventured out to the leisure center so she worked out to an exercise video. He enjoyed watching her gyrating to the music and soon joined in. He certainly had rhythm!

Monday the weather was no better so the surgery schedule was light. Martin organized the drug and storage cabinets, cleaned everything thoroughly and read the articles in his lancets that he had marked for reading on a quiet day. Morwenna caught up the filing, updated the computer system and cleaned the waiting room and loo. The latter wasn't part of her job description but she hated being idle. Martin added a bonus to her next paycheck for her efforts.

For the first time Louisa was bored. The house was clean, James Henry on schedule and lunch was just sandwiches and salad. She invited Morwenna to join them. She was always entertaining and good company. Dinner was leftovers from the previous day's lunch so that was easy. She re-read all her journals and finished the latest novel. Bored, bored, bored!

The mail brought something to Martin that made his day very interesting. He received a letter from the hospital in Truro inviting him to a meeting on Wednesday. Doctor Petronella Black apologized for the short notice but was very anxious to meet him again. He was to inform her of his acceptance by email asap. The rest of the board would be in attendance, too. He wrote her a formal acceptance of the invitation and sat back, eyes closed and thinking about being a surgeon again.

Louisa was grumpy and impatient when he joined her in the kitchen. At least James Henry was happy to see him! They had their usual greeting with James Henry wiggling his whole body and grinning at his Daddy. "Hello James Henry. I trust you behaved appropriately today." He turned to her, leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Hello Louisa. Is everything all right? You don't look well to me."

"I'm fine Mar-tin! Why don't you get yourself ready to eat dinner? I'm ready to serve it." She turned from him, pony tail swishing.

"Of course." They said no more until they were through eating. He laid the letter on the table in front of her and waited for her response.

She sighed and gave him an unfriendly look. "What's this?" Then she read the letter and her whole attitude changed. "Is this… good news do you think? I mean, they wouldn't conduct a second interview unless they're going to…."

"Yes, I think it's good news but we'll have to wait until Wednesday to find out." He replied.

"You can be so…pragmatic! For shite's sake! Can't you show at least a little emotion?" She got up and grabbed the plates off the table and started loading the dishwasher.

"I really don't see the need for that language. It's not my nature to be excited even if I had a reason. As I said before, we'll have to wait and see." He said calmly and picked up James Henry. It was family time – one of the best times of his day.

"Why don't you go for a long soak. You definitely seem out of sorts. Come on, James Henry, let's watch a video together." He chose one of a set specially produced to help babies learn how to learn. Martin found some of it rather silly but James Henry was engrossed in it for several minutes at a time. Then he would remind his father of his continued presence with a big grin before turning back to the video.

The longer Louisa sat in the hot, soothing water, the more ashamed she felt. Poor Martin! She acted like a total arse. So she was bored. For one day she was bored out of so many days of being happy. She got out of the tub, left her towel on the floor after drying off and went down stairs putting her robe on as she went. The sight that greeted her brought quick tears to her eyes - her two men sitting together on the sofa, Martin in his immaculate suit and tie and James Henry in a warm playsuit – watching a children's video. She scuffed her house shoe on the floor to alert Martin to her presence. She leaned on the sofa, put her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "I'm sorry my love. I was bored and took my frustration out on you. You deserve better."

He just nodded. She went to the kitchen to put the kettle on and brought back tea for them both. She stroked the baby's legs and asked gently, "Having a good time little man? Martin, by the time we drink our tea it'll be his bath time. Will you do it or shall I?"

He held the baby closer and sighed, "You better do it. I've some reading I really must do."

She smiled at him and said, "I'm a poor substitute for you and especially your voice but I'll do in a pinch. I've finished my tea so I'll get his bottle and take him upstairs."

After his bath, instead of reading, Louisa sang to him in a soft voice. Songs like "Hush Little Baby" and 'Baa Baa Black Sheep' in old Cornish language. There was one that evidently didn't have a name but she had heard Bert and his friends sing it all her life.

A good sword and a trusty hand,  
A merry heart and true!  
King James's men shall understand  
What Cornish men can do.  
And have they fixed the where and when?  
And shall Trelawny die?  
Then twenty thousand Cornish men  
Will know the reason why!

She wanted him to understand the language of his heritage. At first, he kept looking at the door expecting his daddy. When she started singing, he turned his attention to her and took the bottle apparently pleased with her. Soon, he dropped off to sleep.

She went back to the lounge quietly in case Martin was still reading. Instead, he was sitting with his hands folded, deep in thought. He saw her and asked, "Are you still upset with me?"

She moved quickly to sit close to him, arms around his neck and her cheek against his. "No! I wasn't angry with anyone! I was bored and instead of being an adult about it, I chose to act like a spoiled brat. It won't happen again. You acted just like you always do and that's who I fell in love with."

He returned her embrace and raised her face to his for a tender kiss. "No problem. Weather like this traps you in the house and you're accustomed to activity! I didn't take it personally. And I am excited about the meeting but doctors, and especially surgeons, have to remain calm in any situation. This weather will continue for a few more days. What will you do with your time?"

"Of course there's James Henry to take care of. I can exercise to my video. But the most productive thing would be for me to paint the lounge. The color is so dreary!" He started to object but she was ready for him. "Don't worry! The paint is odor free, 'specially formulated' for households with children or people with allergies or breathing problems. It's the color we picked out for the farmhouse kitchen. Remember, we bought a gallon to try out the other night and I already have everything on hand to complete the job. Just a minute and I'll open it and you can check it out."

"But what about your tools? I don't have any on hand, you know." He replied.

"I already have them on hand – part of my things stored in the shed." She said as she started to open the can.

He read the entire label before he would let her open it. "No dangerous chemicals. Very good." She opened it and there almost no odor just like she said. "The color is pleasing. I have no objection to your plan but, do you know how to paint? There's a system to it, you know."

"Yes, I know and I'm a good painter. I helped Bert and Mary do our house and, then later, my cottage. Paint and wall paper – I did it all." She answered.

"Very well. We should go to bed so you'll be rested tomorrow. I'll clear the dishes away if you'll make sure the doors are locked." He said.

She snuggled in bed while he took his shower and brushed his teeth. In a few minutes, his cool body spooned against hers and they slept.

Monday, Martin prepared breakfast and cleared the dishes while she dressed James Henry and got him ready for the day. She started to move the play pen into the kitchen but he protested and quickly moved to do it himself and put the baby in it with his rattle and his favorite toy – the gift from Uncle Al. "I called Morwenna to tell her not to come in today."

Louisa nodded in approval and slipped out to get all the paint supplies before he could stop her. She came back in, her rain coat dripping wet and he tut-tutted at her. She started moving furniture to the middle of the room and again, he moved quickly to prevent her from doing anything that might be too much for her. "Martin! Thank you for helping but I'm really not a wilting flower. I can do some things for myself!"

He answered testily, "Yes, I'm sure you can like slipping out the door in the pouring rain but why do you think that, as a doctor _and_ your husband, I would stand by and let you do things that could endanger your well being"?

"Well thanks but I actually am strong!" Maybe a different tact, "But you're very sweet." And she kissed his cheek. "Since you're so helpful, help me spread this plastic over the furniture. That's it. You go open the surgery and don't worry about what goes on here."

"Humph! As if I'd fall for that!" He snorted. And proceeded to help just like she knew he would.

Hesitantly, as he left for the surgery, "If you need me, send me a text. I doubt I'll be very busy today. The weather's worse than yesterday."


	58. Chapter 58

**Dear readers, I feel like I need to explain my approach to writing this story. Some of you have complained that the Doc isn't grumpy enough. My DM is based on the Doc in series 1, 2 and 3. The writers have made him progressively grumpier because they think it's funny. 1, 2 and 3 were what I fell in love with. I've tried to show his emotional growth. We know he loves deeply and his family loves him. He's been seeing a psychiatrist and has confronted his worst memories. He's realized that by hanging on to the memories of how badly he was treated by others is still giving them power over his life. I like my Doc Martin and want them to be happy. I like happy! Hope you still enjoy my story and will go with me to the end.**

 **An acknowledgement – the old Cornish I'm using comes from Mark Trevethan who works for the Cornwall Council.**

Chapter 58

The storm was so severe that school was cancelled and only two patients braved the wind and rain to make the trip to the surgery; a fisherman who fell and cracked his head in the pub and a soaking wet teenage girl who tried to remove a mole from her stomach with a kitchen knife. She cut it half way through but the pain was too great for her to finish. Plus, she was sure she was going to bleed to death. She asked in a quavering voice, "Am I going to die?"

He looked at her pale, frightened face and found he couldn't be harsh. He even relaxed his scowl a little. "Yes, you're going to die but not today. Here's a publication on wound care to remind you of what I will tell you now." He was pleased to see that she listened intently to his instructions, nodding her head at the correct times. "Why did you try something so foolish?"

She sniffled and told him, "It's so ugly! I'm ashamed to wear a bikini because the other girls make fun of me."

Remembering the days when he was teased and bullied, he answered, "There will always be cruel people who make fun of other people. I've never understood why they do it but I stopped letting it bother me years ago. You should endeavor to do the same. Now, do you need a ride home?"

"No sir, I live close by. Thank you for helping me and I'll remember what you said. I may try a one piece suit. Girls on swim teams look really nice in them." She said thoughtfully.

He nodded, got up and showed her out.

Martin checked on James Henry and joined Louisa, observing her progress. She certainly was fast – and good! "What's that color?"

"You picked it out, remember? It's Wheat. And didn't I tell you there'd be no odor? And you can clean scuff marks off with a damp cloth." Louisa paused to stretch her back as she answered. Unfortunately, Martin saw her and immediately started trying to diagnose the problem.

"Have you strained yourself in any way? Come into the consultation room and let me examine you. I was afraid this would happen! Just because you're _bored_ …" He rattled on, not letting her speak while trying to lead her out of the lounge.

She tried to get a word in edgewise, "No…Martin, I…Martin please…Martin! Mar-tin! I'm fine! You know you're supposed to stop and stretch no matter what you're doing. I've seen you do it and you taught Morwenna to do it as well! And you can stop banging on about how I was bored!" She couldn't help herself and muttered, "Jackarse!"

"I will when you stop…Never mind!" He shook his head and stomped into the surgery to answer the phone. Buddy watched this exchange, yawned and laid his head back down. So warm and comfortable!

"Ellingham. Yes. Yes. I'll call an ambulance and be there as quickly as I can." He grabbed the defibrillator and his bag, told Louisa to call an ambulance for a possible heart attack and have it go to Mrs. Sawls' house and he would meet it there. And he raced out the door. Louisa's "Martin be careful!" was lost on the howling wind. Buddy was wiggling madly trying to follow him but she held him tightly. She whispered "Martin, my love. Please be careful." And called for an ambulance. Buddy sat at the door, awaiting his return. He couldn't be coaxed back to the blanket because he was on guard.

Martin drove as fast as he could with the rain beating down and the wind pushing the heavy car. The house appeared through the rain and he ran, splashing through the puddles, for the porch, knocked and opened the door. Betty Buckner, Miss Sawls assistant, was stretched out on the floor, apparently not breathing.

Miss Sawls was clumsily trying to perform CPR and she rose to her feet and said in a quivering voice, "Oh Doctor, thank you for coming. I think she's dead!" Tears were running down her cheeks.

He got down on his knees and listened to her heart. Nothing. He unpacked the defibrillator and applied it to her chest. The shock made her body jump but still no heartbeat. Again, her body jumped with no result. Again, but evidently third time was the charm. There was a faint but regular heartbeat. Mrs. Buckner's eyelids fluttered and she tried to raise herself off the floor.

Through her tears, Miss Sawls whispered, "Oh, thank the Lord!"

He gently pressed her back and said, "Mrs. Buckner, can you hear me? You've had a heart attack. The ambulance is on its way. They'll take you to hospital."

They could hear the ambulance getting near and Martin went to open the door. As usual, no niceties from the Doc, "Mrs. Betty Buckner, early fifties, slightly overweight, not very fit, heart attack. I used the defibrillator and, on the third try, got a heartbeat." And he stood back out of the way.

Scowl firmly in place, he stared at Miss Sawls. She knew him well enough to interpret that look and reassured him. "I know what you're thinking, Doctor. That I shouldn't be left here on my own but you're wrong. I'm so much stronger now than I was. I'm sure I'll be fine tonight on my own. But thank you for worrying. You're so kind to me!"

He still looked doubtful. "I'll stay here until you're in bed and be back in the morning. Would you like a cup of tea or anything before you retire?"

"No, I won't delay you. I'm sure Louisa will be relieved to have you home safe. Now, excuse me. I'll be ready soon." And she left the room.

A few minutes later, she called him to her bedroom. "See, I'm safe and warm in my bed. You can go home now and not worry about me a bit."

He brought a glass of water for her, checked to make sure she really was comfortable, told her he would see her in the morning and would send someone tomorrow to stay with her, said a curt good bye and left, locking the door behind him.

He entered the surgery and a gust of freezing rain blew in with him and he almost tripped over Buddy who, satisfied that his master was home, returned to his bed and went back to sleep.

James Henry was asleep and Louisa had their lunch in the oven waiting for him to return. Argument forgotten, she asked, "Everything ok? Here, let me help you with that raincoat. Here're your house shoes. Now, sit down and I'll serve a late lunch. I made fish pie, roasted carrots and mushy peas." She bustled around hanging the coat in the laundry room and pouring his tea. "I'm not asking for patient information, but please tell me if Miss Sawls is alright."

"Thank you. And yes, I can tell you she's alright. It was her helper, Mrs. Buckner who needed help." He replied. Soon, they heard James Henry making his wake up noises on the baby monitor. "I'll get him." And he left the room.

"Good afternoon, son. Did you sleep well? Your Mommy made a very tasty and healthy lunch for us. Now, it's your turn." He changed a wet nappy and carried a very happy baby down to the kitchen through the newly painted lounge. He did a full circle, nodded his head and told the baby, "Your Mommy did an excellent job painting this room. She's definitely a woman of many talents." Now if he could just say things like that to her! He entered the kitchen and tried to make himself repeat the compliment directly to her. "Er…congratulations. You did very well and it looks… much brighter."

Surprised but pleased by his compliment, she replied, "Well, thank you kind sir. Will you be the gentleman I know you are and help me move the furniture back after you finish eating?" She asked with a smile.

They spent the afternoon thoroughly cleaning the room – vacuuming, polishing the furniture with leather cleaner, mopping, waxing, etc. James Henry was fascinated with what they were doing and stayed happily in his playpen, making their job much easier. Plus, Buddy made his way over to sit beside the playpen and watch these strange things. James Henry spotted him and grinned hugely. This was something new and very entertaining! Martin wore his 'cleaning apron' – an extra large, red and white one with pockets for his cleaning supplies. And, he took off his suit coat!

Martin prepared a simple meal for dinner while she showered. While they were eating, she said, "Tomorrow we're supposed to meet Billy Higgins at the farm. I'm so curious about what his idea is."

"Hum-m-m. Very curious." He replied as he started to feed the baby. And so it went for the rest of the evening.

The weather cleared overnight. The next morning Louisa stood on the terrace, stretched out her arms and inhaled the crisp, cold air. Buddy ran out the door with her and took off for the garden.

When she went back in, Buddy stood at the door waiting for permission to enter. Martin looked at Louisa and she nodded. Buddy became a fixture in the house after that day. She said, "Thank goodness, we can get out today. And tonight, it'll be easier for us to meet Billy."

"Yes. I'm going to call social services to have them send another helper for Miss Sawls and then visit her before I open the surgery. Be back soon." And he left.

After breakfast Louisa, the baby and Buddy went first to see Bert. "Come in lovers. It's been right shitety weather for sure. I missed you! That's for sure. Let me hold the lit'lt tacker*. Been pizan dawn* for sure. Business been shitety, too. You cheer me up, lit'le 'un. I've been right hangin'* the past couple o'days."

"Oh Bert! We've missed you, too. And business will pick up now that the weather's cleared. Is there anything I can do? And you've lost more weight! That's about enough isn't it? You're looking very pale, you know." She was really concerned about him.

"Eh, don't you worry now, luv. Seein' you two always makes me feel bet'er. Ok?" He held the baby in one arm and embraced her with the other. "Luv you girl. And my grandson. Now, you go on and leave me to catch up on things. Bye now. Go on and I'll see you later."

She left and kept glancing back at him. Martin would come see about him. They did some much needed stops at the cleaners, grocers and the fish market. The cleaners were an American couple who had immigrated several years ago to settle in a place that was, to them, the most beautiful place in the world and fitted in the village perfectly. They didn't blink an eye when they saw Martin's latest cleaning job. He had sent them worse. "Be ready Monday, Mrs. Ellingham. You certainly have a beautiful son!" People were out and about, glad to see the clear weather and Louisa was stopped by half the village wanting to say hello and admire James Henry. The walk back up Rosscarrock Hill was a lot harder when she was loaded down with purchases. She finally made it, went in, put away the groceries and fed a hungry baby. Martin was too busy in the surgery to stop for lunch. Patients came in droves making up for the lost days. Thank goodness for Morwenna!

Martin saw the last patient and Morwenna left locking the door behind her. They were both exhausted and hungry. He had invited her to have dinner with them but she already had plans with Al. (Which meant she would help out at the restaurant!)

Louisa fixed his favorite meal - baked cod with a little olive oil and cracked pepper and a roasting pan full of root vegetables. He sighed with contentment when he sat down to eat. James Henry had given him the usual greeting of grins and giggles and gummed his chin.

She was almost too excited to eat and it took all her effort to not chatter when he was so tired and hungry. He finished and drank a cup of hot, hot tea and said, "We should leave soon for our appointment with Mr. Higgins."

"Yes, I'm ready and have the nappy bag packed. This is a full week for us. Oh, and by the way, I wish you would stop by the restaurant and check on Bert. He doesn't look at all well to me."

He nodded in agreement. Since marrying Louisa, he had gotten to know Bert and was grateful for his care of her. "We still must make the time to get our pictures made at Keith Riley's before Thursday. I really don't see how we can accomplish it. What will be our present to him?"

"I guess just show up for his birthday with a card. How about if James Henry and I follow you to Truro tomorrow before your meeting. I'll call now and make an appointment." She said as she looked up the number on her phone. They could have an appointment at ten o'clock tomorrow and the pictures would be ready by Friday. That was perfect! "I'll go to Truro Friday and pick them up. Have you thought of how we're going to get him to the hall Saturday evening?"

"We might be able to kill two birds with one stone. We could visit him and I'll tell him that I want to talk to him about how he's lost so much weight. That wouldn't be a lie. It sounds like he's 'crash' dieting which is very unhealthy. I really want to examine him. Al or Morwenna need to be on hand to watch the restaurant or he won't come with me. Can you tell him that someone left something for you at the hall so we will have to stop there on the way back to the surgery?" He said as he fixed another cup of tea.

She thought for a minute, and then nodded in agreement. "That sounds like it will work. I'll call Al and tell him about it. Then we can leave for the farm." She called Al and told him the plan and he agreed that either he or Morwenna would be on hand.

When they arrived at the farm, Billy was there walking around looking at the house. He waved and met them at the door. "Evenin' Doc, Louiser. This be a grand old 'ouse. And the views!" They shook hands, he admired James Henry and Louisa led them into the house.

*tacker – small child, toddler

*pizan dawn – raining hard

*hangin' – I feel rough today

*shitety – shitty


	59. Chapter 59

Chapter 59

"Kin yew's tell me what yew's have in mind? May as well start 'ere in the kitchen. Who wants ta start?" Billy looked around as he talked, taking time out to pet a happy Buddy.

Martin spoke first since they were in the kitchen. "We want estimates on separate items and then an estimate on a complete job. Is that possible?"

"Sure I kin. I bet yew's want the wirin' and plumbin' done over first. And a new heatin' system. I think gas is best for cookin' and heatin' both. Shame they's no gas line out this fer so yew's have to use the propane. And the winders. They be old and plenty drafty. I know a company that makes them reproductions winders. Can't hardly tell the difference but they be draft proof 'cause they be insulated. Have I got that right so far?" Billy said wisely.

Louisa smiled in appreciation and Martin looked at him with new respect. "Exactly. Now, if we have a new heating system, we won't need the old boiler. We'd like to expand that space somehow for a pantry and general storage. On the other side, we'd like to have a half bath. If possible, could this wall be taken out? Louisa will take over now."

She got out her list and started reading it to him. He nodded and made comments that improved the list. The three of them (four counting James Henry) walked and talked about all their ideas for almost an hour. Martin looked suspiciously at Billy who didn't take a single note. "Shouldn't you be writing some of this down?" He asked somewhat arrogantly causing Louisa to poke him in the ribs. "Ouch!" He turned to look questioningly at her but stopped short when he saw the glare on her face. "What was that for?" He asked in an indignant voice. She blushed and glanced at Billy to see if he noticed the exchange. He did.

Billy chuckled and replied, "Well, no. Mind now, been doin' this since long afore Louiser was a lit'le maid. Not that my opinion will matter to thee, but thee has struck the right balance. Keep all the old thee can but make it safe and, what'em call en-er-gie 'ffi-cent. And warm for the lit'le tacker here." He wiggled James Henry's foot, making his grin. "Eh, I can 'member Louiser as a babe. Boo-tiful she were. This'un looks like his Pa. Ansome tacker. Yew got a lot of decisions to make."

"Yes and we probably haven't thought of a lot of them! That's why we need you. Now, can you tell us what the surprise is you mentioned?" She asked.

"Well, like I said, been doin' this a long time and want to cut back. After all, I'm a grand-daddy now and want to enjoy every minute of it. Louiser, I have reason to know you be plenty smart and I been told you ain't teaching right now. So, my idea is that you and the Doc make the plans and you handle the sub-contracting. I'll walk you through all of it and it won't hurt ye to know what it's about. Sort of a silent partner, like." Billy grinned at her as he revealed his idea.

Louisa was stunned and looked at Martin to see his reaction but, instead of shock, she saw an arrested expression. "Martin?"

He was staring suspiciously at Billy and asked, "What happened to your accent? It seems to come and go."

"Ha! I use it to charm the emmets. They feel like they met a 'real' Cornishman when they first hear me. Don't tell me you fell for it, Louiser! Let's see what you remember. Gyllydh, ty a yll y wul. My a wra dha weres. Yw, chi koth marthys yw gans lies kov a-derdro."

"Yes, I remember most of it I think. Martin, he said 'Yes, you can't do it. I'll help you around. It's a wonderful old cave with lots of tadpoles.' I think I missed a few words, didn't I?" Louisa asked ruefully.

"Not too bad my girl. But, you could use some practice." And he chuckled some more. "Tadpoles! Good one! Now, you and the Doc will probably want to discuss this. Call me when you've made your decision."

Louisa pulled Martin aside and spoke softly but firmly. "Martin, I'm sorry if this makes you upset but my decision is made. I'm going to do it and I'm going to tell him now."

"If you really want to do this, then go for it." Martin encouraged her.

She was shining with excitement, "Yes, Billy. I'll do it. But you must realize that I'll need a lot of mentoring."

Billy beamed at her and then shrugged his shoulders at Martin who was looking at his wife with a slight frown on his face. "Well Doc, looks like you got a contractor in trainin' in the family. What'cha think about that?"

Martin didn't answer immediately. He was still staring at his wife, who was writing feverishly on her pad, but his frown was turning into a look of pride. He turned to Billy, "I think it's an acceptable solution. Louisa. Louisa, shouldn't we leave now? James Henry needs our attention."

She realized he was speaking to her and turned to him and answered distractedly, "Yes, yes. We should go. Billy, thank you. I'll be in touch in a couple of days." Martin shook hands with him and Billy and Louisa hugged each other and they left for home.

She talked non-stop during the journey home about her excitement, her plans, the decisions they still had to make.

Martin managed to get a word in and asked, "Louisa, your background and education are in teaching. What experience do you have that would enable you to take on this job? Please don't think I doubt your abilities but this is a _big_ undertaking!"

"I've done other things, Mar-tin! My life didn't start when I met you, you know." She said seriously.

"Very well then, what have you done to prepare for this? I've always been interested in architecture but never had a chance to study it as much as I'd like. Have you studied it at all?" He asked.

"I've not only painted inside and out and I put up wallpaper. And an even harder task, I've taken it down. Billy didn't mention it but he let me follow him around on holidays and help with quite a bit of the work like plumbing, electrical and laying bricks. I helped with lots of the construction, even roofing. That's how I made a bit of spending money. I'm going to do a lot of research on the computer. There will be lots of web sites on sub contracting. I'm really excited about this! I helped Bert build our deck and then I designed the one we added to my cottage. When I went to Uni and then started teaching, of course, I didn't do nearly as much. And, I count on you to express your opinions on what I do and tell me things you prefer, like finishes." She stopped to draw breath.

"I'll support you with anything you want me to but, as I told you, I stopped with the kitchen. I'm sure whatever you choose will be acceptable to me." He said as they pulled into the parking space at the surgery. He got James Henry out of the car seat, protecting him from the cold as much as possible. Buddy led the way into the house.

Louisa shivered and said, "I hope the gas heat will be warmer than the heat we use here."

"It will be, I assure you. Now, James Henry, bath, bottle and bed time?" He yawned and snuggled his head into his father's neck. It all sounded good to him. "Louisa, do mind putting the kettle on when we're finished? Tea sounds good."

They went upstairs together. She drew the bath water while he undressed James Henry. While he was bathing a wiggling and giggling baby, she laid out clean pajamas, a nappy and nappy cream. He quickly passed a wet baby to a warm towel she was holding. "Your Daddy and I make a pretty good team, don't you think? He's very handy to have around."

She dressed him while Martin made the bottle. "What were you singing to him the other night? You've a very pleasant voice."

"Just some songs I've heard. The one in Cornish doesn't have a name but I've heard it all my life. I want him to know some of his heritage you know."

"I'll rock him and you sing instead of me reading. I'm sure we'll both enjoy it." He said as he sat down in the rocker.

"Hm-m, let's see. Do you know 'Baa, baa black sheep'? You do. Okay then, I'll sing it first in English and then in Cornish. Here goes."

He listened as he rocked the baby.

'Baa, baa, black sheep  
Have you any wool?  
Yes, sir, yes, sir,  
Three bags full.

One for my master  
And one for my dame,  
And one for the little boy  
Who lives down the lane.'

"Now, the Cornish version."

'Brȳf, Brȳf, te dhavas dhu  
ues genes gwlān?  
Ues, syrra, lenwys yw  
try sagh a'm ran

Onen ues dhe'm mēster lōs  
ün aral ues dh'em dama  
saw nyns ues man dhe'n meppyk plos  
y'n vownder ues ow carma!

A charcat dhuv en dhuv; a charcat dhuv!  
tens ty cholles le laine le laine; tens ty laine?  
A vaysteor, vaysteor dhack; a vaysteoran,  
trew sackes y vowghes traw; di laine llen.  
Yen per li don li don; ce vowgga 'ci;  
Yen per li dam li dam; il sackis 'ca;  
Yen per li map li map; il l' ystrathe!'

James Henry went to sleep listening to the sweet voice of his mother and held securely in his father's arms. He laid him in the crib and she covered him with his soft, warm blanket. They stood looking at him. Martin's expression was so soft and tender! If their love for each other wasn't enough to keep them together, the love they both had for their son certainly would. Tea forgotten, she led him into their bedroom and shut the door.


	60. Chapter 60

Chapter 60

They slept sated and content, bodies close and warm through the night. Martin rose early to go to the leisure center. He had missed his workouts and felt calmer after strenuous activity. He and Buddy sprinted up Rosscarrock Hill and entered the kitchen filled with the wonderful smells of espresso, porridge and toast made from whole grain bread. James Henry was delighted to see his father. Martin picked him up and said, "Good morning son. Has Mommy fed you yet? I see that she has by the food on your face. Messy eater! Ready for a bottle?" He fed the baby his bottle and then ate a quick breakfast. "We should hurry and dress Louisa. We'll just make our appointment if we leave within the hour."

"I got up just after you left and took my shower and I'm dressed under my robe. I just need to dress James Henry and we'll be ready. Go on up and shower. We'll wait for you." Louisa said with a bright smile. "I am so amped today!"

He smiled at her. (Yes, Martin smiled!) "Yes, I know what you mean. I'll hurry." And he rushed upstairs.

She followed him into Truro and they arrived just in time for their appointment. James Henry had to be coaxed into smiling by the clever photographer and a stuffed monkey. Louisa was as radiant as Martin had ever seen her. For the first time since he was a child visiting Auntie Joan, he didn't scowl at the camera. His actually smiled again. "These are going to be great! You have a very handsome son. Takes great pictures. Mrs. Ellingham, you were coming back here tomorrow to pick up your prints but I can save you a trip. I'll pass right by PortWenn tomorrow as I'm photographing a wedding out that way. If you can meet me tomorrow at St Endellion on B3314 at 12:00 I can give you your prints. How about Trevathan Farm? I want to pick up some Yarg cheese. Love that cheese!"

"Yes, I can do that. You're very kind to offer. Isn't he Martin?" She had to get his attention because he was examining the landscape prints on display. Very impressive!

"Yes. I should leave now. I'll call you when I'm on the way home. James Henry." He felt the baby's forehead, touched her hand and left.

She thanked him again and started the journey home. Fortunately, there was a rest stop where she could change and feed James Henry. He slept the rest of the way home. Her mind was full of the job ahead of her. She had forgotten all the things she did and learned before she went to uni. All her focus had been on teaching for years. But now…she started remembering.

She pulled into the parking area just as James Henry woke from his nap. "Hello beautiful boy! Want to visit Grandpa Bert? We need to celebrate!"

They walked briskly to Bert's restaurant and ducked in out of the cold and almost ran into Al. "Well hello, James Henry! Can you give me a smile? That's it! Hello Sis." His voice dropped to a whisper, "Did you get your pictures? Good. Everything's set then. He doesn't suspect a thing." Bert was walking towards them so he talked in a normal voice. "What've you been doing this morning?"

"Just doing a little shopping and must do some more. Bert, do you remember when I helped you and Billy Higgins? If you can spare me a few minutes this evening, I'd like to tell you some great news." She was beaming as she asked.

"Why, I'll make time for my luv'ly grandson and dau'er! Let me hold 'im Al. He be my tonic and I should have a dose every day. Com'ere, grandbaby. Louiser, 'im looks more like his Daddy ever day. Except, has to say he's a right more 'ansome! You eatin' here tonight? We're havin' a special that be right up Doc's alley." Bert nuzzled the baby's neck as he spoke. James Henry pulled back to grin at him. "I swear, 'im makes me melt ever time he duz that!"

Louisa laughed and told them she had errands to do and must leave. "But, I'll see you tonight. I've such exciting news! Later!" She put the baby back in the stroller and they headed for home. It was time for play and teaching time for James Henry so Mommy spent an hour reading, singing and looking at pictures with him. Time for his afternoon bottle and nap. Then Louisa practically dove into different web sites looking for information on sub contracting. The most alarming information was in the form of a list:

Hiring and negotiating contracts with subcontractors

Obtaining the necessary permits and scheduling inspections

Establishing a payment schedule based on work progress

Disbursing money to subs and material suppliers

Creating a schedule for workers, subs, and deliveries

Negotiating material prices and ordering materials

Interpreting the plans and specifications

Supervising and coordinating the work of employees and subs

Troubleshooting job-site problems

She choked a little as she absorbed the responsibilities she was undertaking. "Billy said he would walk me through it." Became her mantra in the following days. Before all that, she needed to draw up a plan for the addition, the upstairs master bedroom, the new heating system (that would require vents probably) and on and on. "Billy said he would walk me through it." She searched for methods of drawing plans and found the perfect app. By the time James Henry woke up, she had a good start. She was changing a disgusting nappy when Martin called to say he was on the way home. His voice sounded calm as usual and he refused to answer any questions until he got there.

She called Conan to arrange for them to meet at her cottage. They caught up on old times and set a meeting time next Monday at 11:00.

Martin's day was very successful. He entered the board room and was greeted by all the members as if he were already a colleague. Chris winked at him as he uttered his hello. Dr. Black greeted him with more reserve than the others but her smile was very friendly. Even the obtuse Martin could see that. He was seated and offered refreshment which he refused. He sat with the ankle of his left leg over the knee of the other, hands folded in his lap and his expression calm.

"We want to welcome you to this meeting, Dr. Ellingham. I know your reputation for getting right to the point. So, we've discussed your qualifications, which are many! We've talked to Dr. Timberland and he assures us that, in his opinion, you're ready to resume your career as a surgeon. I've researched your background and read most of your papers and found everything to be of top quality. We hope that you'll accept our offer of employment as our vascular surgeon - after a trial period of course. You will assist Dr. Phillips until he deems you ready to perform on your own. On occasion, you will act as general surgeon if needed and in the emergency room. Later, your responsibilities will include supervising our registrars. Is all this acceptable to you?"

He didn't change expressions but inside, he felt almost like he did when Louisa accepted his proposal. His armpits dripped with perspiration and his heart was pounding. He waited a couple of seconds to make sure his voice sounded normal, and answered, "Yes, that is acceptable to me. And I need hardly say how…er… grateful I am to be given this opportunity. I can assure you that you will not be disappointed."

"Very good. Dr. Parsons has agreed to send your patients to Wadebridge starting next Monday until he can find a replacement for you. We'd like you to start November 15th. Is that too soon for you?" Dr. Black asked with eager expression.

"No, not at all. I'm very eager to start." He replied.

"Excellent! You'll go through orientation Monday morning starting at nine am; filling out paperwork, being escorted around the hospital, (I know you already know you're way around but it's policy) shown your office, things like that." Dr. Black stood to indicate that the meeting was over and the rest of the board stood with her.

They all smiled and jostled each other to shake hands with Martin and say how glad they were that he would be working there. Martin gripped Chris's hand a little harder and longer than he did the others. He couldn't utter the words but he would never forget how his friend had stood by him. Chris indicated that he wanted to talk later and Martin nodded.

When they met outside, Chris smiled broadly as he said, "Well, that was satisfactory. Really old chap, I couldn't be happier for you. Congratulations!" Martin could only nod in response. "Petronella doesn't know it but I've already found your replacement. Young and eager. Made top marks in med school. Think you'll like him. But we have to find an office for him."

Martin immediately thought of his surgery and that Louisa wanted to rent it out as a holiday cottage. "When will he start?"

"Unfortunately, not for two months. Why? Is it important?" Chris asked.

"Maybe. I'll call you tomorrow after I talk to Louisa." Martin replied as they walked to their cars.

"Of course and give her my love. We need to get together soon for dinner or something. I want to see my godson!" Chris laughed as he spoke.

"I'll talk to Louisa and, of course, you'll have to talk to Carol and we'll come up with something. Now I must go. Louisa and I have plans for tonight. Good bye and…uh, yes." Martin again wanted to thank his friend but just didn't know how. He would probably sound like an idiot if he tried. He turned and left with so many things unsaid.

Chris watched him go with a knowing look on his face. He knew Martin and understood him as well as anybody could. Carol would be thrilled with the news.

Martin called Louisa from his car as promised but wouldn't answer any questions until he got home.

"Oh, that man! He could at least say 'Yea!' or 'Oh, shit!' She finished drawing the baby's bathwater and he proceeded to splash her thoroughly. She dried her face and himand put his pj's back on since he was usually the last one dressed. He went into the playpen and she prepared Martin a sandwich and fruit since she would wager that he hadn't eaten. She worked on her plans while she waited; check the well first, second have all the electrical wiring redone and brought up to code, third replace all the old plumbing, (not forgetting the new bathrooms and addition), the new heating system, the windows, insulation, the kitchen, the new master bedroom, painting and last, the floors. Hopefully, they would do the addition and deck as well, then the floors. She had researched how to clean hardwood floors and decided on Bona Deep Clean System which combines a powerful scrubbing machine with a highly potent cleaner for a new level of clean. Together those two products cleaned wooden floors with extreme efficiency.* And the finish would be low luster Marine varnish that would preserve and protect them without hurting the patina of old wood. She had the rough draft of the plans for the addition ready to print out to show to Martin and Billy. She hadn't been this excited since her first teaching assignment!

Martin entered the backdoor and she started to run to meet him. "No, no Louisa. He doesn't like to be rushed." Instead, she kissed him and said "Hello sweetheart. I fixed a sandwich for you in case you didn't stop to eat. Hungry"

He greeted James Henry before answering her but, for the first time ever, didn't feel his forehead. "Yes but first I need water then food, in that order, before I tell you the news." He quickly downed two full glasses of water before he ate. He finished, wiped his lips and said, "I'm the new vascular surgeon for The Royal Cornwall Hospital. Well, I will be starting Monday." He stood and tears ran down his cheeks as he held her tight with his face buried against her shoulder.

She wrapped her arms around his waist and whispered, "Oh my love, my love. That's wonderful! You've waited so long! My love, oh my love."

He raised his head to look at her with a damp face and a smile. "Yes, it's been a long time but made sweet because of you and our son. Louisa, I just can't…I can't speak about it yet but Louisa! To be a surgeon again! With everything else I have to be happy about, I'm going to be a surgeon again." And his face was buried against her shoulder again.

They stood like that until James Henry demanded attention – and they thought, his dinner! Martin dried his face, blew his nose and picked up his unusually fussy son. "James Henry, your father has some news for you. He's the new vascular surgeon for The Royal Cornwall Hospital. I realize that your dinner is far more important than that news. I believe your Mommy has it ready." He removed his suit jacket and started to feed his son. But, he refused to eat.

"I must get dressed while you do that. We have to leave in an hour. I have so many questions! And news for you, too. But, we'll talk tonight after the party." She was almost burbling with happiness. The news hadn't completely sunk in and she was still over the moon about it.

Since James Henry refused his cereal, Martin offered him his bottle and thought about his day. He felt loose inside, free as if whatever had been blocking him before was gone. Then he realized the bottle was also refused. Very unusual! He sat the baby up on his lap and looked at him. "H-m-m. How's your temperature? You feel warm! Let's go take it and see." The thermometer said 39c. The doctor said not high enough to be unduly alarmed, but the father had a different reaction. He ran upstairs calling, "Louisa! Come here, quickly!"

She rushed in asking what in the world was wrong.

"He wouldn't eat so I took his temperature. It's 39c! Feel his forehead. We need to cool him down. Bring some cool, not cold, flannels while I undress him. And the baby paracetamol"

They worked together to lower his temperature, the party at Bert's forgotten until Al called.

"What's wrong? Is it James Henry?" He asked.

"I'm sorry I forgot to call you and, yes, it's the baby. He's not eating and was running a temperature of 39c. We've brought it down to 37c and that's much better. Hopefully he'll drink some juice or, even better, water. Please tell Bert how sorry we are and to have a happy, happy birthday. What? Yes, we'll see you tomorrow. Luv you." And she hung up and got two bottles ready; one juice and one water.

Martin had him cuddled on his lap, telling him about his day just to have something to talk about. Louisa handed him the water bottle first and he took just a little. Martin then tried the juice bottle and he took about half of it. Success!

"Louisa, I really need a shower so please take over here. He's much cooler and he enjoys it when you sing to him." He said as he stood up and handed her the baby.

She sat down with him and continued to rock while singing 'Gold and Love for Dearie'**

Out on the mountain over the town,  
All night long, all night long,  
The trolls go up and the trolls go down,  
Bearing their packs and singing a song;  
And this is the song the hill-folk croon,  
As they trudge in the light of the misty moon-  
This is ever their dolorous tune:  
"Gold, gold! ever more gold-  
Bright red gold for dearie!"

Deep in the hill a father delves  
All night long, all night long;  
None but the peering, furtive elves  
Sees his toil and hears his song;  
Merrily ever the cavern rings  
As merrily ever his pick he swings,  
And merrily ever this song he sings:  
"Gold, gold! ever more gold-  
Bright red gold for dearie!"

Mother is rocking thy lowly bed  
All night long, all night long,  
Happy to smooth thy curly head,  
To hold thy hand and to sing _her_ song:  
'T is not of the hill-folk dwarfed and old,  
Nor the song of thy father, stanch and bold,  
And the burthen it beareth is not of gold:  
But it 's "Love, love! nothing but love-  
Mother's love for dearie!"

Much more comfortable, he dropped into a deep, healing sleep. She laid him down and he immediately rolled over onto his stomach and she covered him with a soft warm blanket and tiptoed out.

"I heard you singing. You really have a lovely voice." He was drying off when he spoke.

"Thank you, kind sir! Now, can you tell me about your day?" She asked while admiring his naked form.

He noticed her eyes on him and recognized the look. "Do you mind if I tell you from a warm bed? Come on, you can join me." His voice was low and husky and his body made what he had in mind very evident.

"Yes, it is a little chilly in here." She went to the loo, came out and stood in front of the mirror slowly removing her clothes. He could see her front and back and devoured the sight of her. Her last item of clothing removed, she brushed her long, shiny hair and 'accidentally' dropped her brush. She bent over to pick it up and he gasped her name. "Louisa! Will you get over here? Do you want me to explode?"

She ran to the bed, snuggled in on top of him, kissing him with all the love and passion she had in her. And he turned off the light.

*This is an authentic cleaning system in Cornwall. I'm just borrowing it because, if I had to clean old wood floors, this is what I would use.

**'Gold and Love for Dearie' was written by Eugene Field (1850-1895)


	61. Chapter 61

Chapter 61

They had been asleep for a few hours when James Henry cried out. Martin moved faster but she was right behind him with their robes.

"His temperature is high again." He was holding the warm little body next to his naked chest, swaying back and forth and trying to sooth him.

"Here Martin, slip on your robe. I'll get your house shoes and the flannels and paracetamol." And she hurried out.

"No, get the ibuprofen instead. It hasn't been six hours yet." He cautioned.

The baby was snuffling and rubbing his head against his father's shoulder almost as if he had a headache. "My little lad. Mommy and I will make you feel better soon. Sh-h-h. Hush now. Mommy's coming back." Martin soothed him. He sat in the rocker and started removing the pajamas and nappy so he could get an accurate temperature reading. It was 39c again. Louisa returned with the medicine and flannels and they repeated the steps that had worked previously. "I checked his gums and didn't feel any bumps. If this continues, you should call his pediatrician tomorrow."

"I already planned on doing that. Poor baby. It's so hard to see him not feeling well." She said as she prepared the flannels.

"Yes." Was all he said but his tender care said so much more than any words.

She handed him the first flannel and put the dropper of medicine in the corner of the baby's mouth. He tried to turn his head to refuse it but Martin moved to hold his face still.

She handed him a fresh flannel and stroked the little legs. She sat down on the toy box and kept exchanging flannels with him as they worked together again, taking care of their son. They managed to get him to drink some more juice before he went back to sleep.

James Henry slept until early dawn before he woke up again. They had the foresight to put on gown and pajamas before going back to bed so they weren't racing across the landing naked again. This time his temperature was just above 38c . It was too soon for a dose of either medicine so cool flannels would have to work. This time Louisa held the flannels against his body. Later, Martin prepared breakfast and she managed to get the baby to eat some fruit and take some more juice. "The doctor's office starts taking appointments at eight so I'll call them then. If necessary, could Morwenna watch him while I go to St. Endellion to meet Mr. Riley?" Just then, Bert appeared at the window. He looked in and she motioned for him to enter.

"'ey, I don't mean to pester 'um but just wanted to see 'ow the lit'le tacker be. Oh, my boo'tiful cheel! Do ye know what be wrong wid 'im?" He stroked the baby's head and James Henry managed to smile for him. "That's it! Hee hee, him's got a smile fer his grand-daddy!' Will ye take 'im to see the doc Louiser?"

"Yes, as soon as I can get an appointment. As a matter of fact, they're open now so, if you'll hold him a minute, I'll call them." She handed the baby to a delighted Bert and called the doctor's office. They could see them at nine thirty.

"Do ye need me to go with'um? Maybe for comp'nee?" He asked hopefully.

Seeing that, she gave an enthusiastic yes. "Will you watch him while Martin and I get dressed? That would be so helpful."

Martin was eyeing Bert and determined that, yes, he had lost weight but looked well. "Bert, come see me today for a checkup."

"Wid out an appointment! Ha! Niver! What ye worritin' about Doc. Me diet is a good 'un, right out of 'o the buk, and I feel great. But, I'll make one next week. Good e'nuf?"

"Hm-m, see that you do." And he disappeared up the stairs.

Louisa was listening out of sight, grateful that Martin asked him. She followed him upstairs and said, "Thanks luv. I'll call and let you know what they say. By the way, you never answered me – can Morwenna watch James Henry for a little while if necessary?"

"I'll ask her but it's alright with me. Just call me." And he stepped in the shower as she dressed hurriedly and went back downstairs.

"Come on baby boy. Let's get you ready. Be right back Bert." She said as she disappeared upstairs again. He wasn't in a cooperative mood and it took all her skill to capture those moving limbs and dress him. Then back down again with a still fussy James Henry, ready to go. She gave him to Bert while she packed the nappy bag. "Let's go, Grand-dad. Puffing all the way to that parking lot pushing a pram in the cold isn't easy."

They made it to the car park (she watched him but his breathing seemed fine and his gait was sure), loaded the baby into the car seat and were on their way. "We have time to stop for coffee if you want some Bert."

"No thanks luv. I'm fine. Sorry ee missed last night. The meal was grand and the Doc would've enjoyed it. Al and Morwenna surprised me wid a cake for me birthday." He glanced at her surreptitiously and said, "Thought all ye forgot it."

"Bert! How could you think that? I have your card and present at home but, in all the confusion, I forgot to give them to you. Ok?" She said indignantly.

"Well, I guess I overreacted. Ee'um wouldn't be the first ta ferget a ol' man's birthday. Ee young'uns have so much goin' on. What was yur news ee was goin' to tell me?" He said trying to change the subject.

"You're going to be surprised…or worried. I'm not sure which. Ok, we met Billy Higgins at the farm about our remodel. He said he wants to slow down because of the new grandbaby and suggested that _I_ be in charge of it. He promised he'd walk me through it – that's my mantra now! What do you think? Should I try it?" She asked doubtfully.

"I'd like ta know why not! Ee be one of the smartest people I know. When you was no bigger than a piskey*, ee was helpin' me and Mary do all kinds of thin's. Then ee helped Billy hisself! Remember what you done to make a lit'le money. And, me thinks ye enjoyed it as well. Mary treasured that old sideboard ye refinished fer her when ee was only fidteen! I still got it. Why, of course ye can do it! And, if ee git stuck like, there be me and Al to help you. I'm proud of ee my girl." He answered with a positive and encouraging tone.

"Thank you Bert. That makes me feel so much better. Martin thinks I can handle it, too. The only part of the house he wants any say in is the kitchen. Other than that, he trusts my judgment." She said proudly.

"Huh! He be smarter ever' day!" He was quiet for a minute, then said, "I niver told you an' Al but ee two were the best thin's that ever happened ta Mary and me. The last thin' that Mary said to me was to take kere of ee both. Some days me feels like I failed ee both. I could'uh done so much more."

"What are you talking about?" She asked in amazement. " I was good for you? You're wonderful to say that but think what would have happened to me if not for you and Mary. I couldn't love you more if you _were_ my real dad. And Mary! The things she taught me. The way you both encouraged both of us to be anything we wanted to be! No, no. You and Mary were the best thing that could have ever happened to me and don't you forget it!"

He didn't speak for the rest of the trip, just looked out the window at the passing scenery. When they pulled in the parking lot he said, "Not only got ee, got the best grandson in th' world! I be just lucky! That's what!"

The doctor told them that it was just a twenty-four hour virus and that he had seen a few cases. They were doing the correct treatment and the baby should be back to normal by tomorrow. As usual for doctors, if he wasn't better, come back to see him.

"I wish I could take you to lunch somewhere besides your restaurant so you could have a meal that you didn't cook but I have to get home. Hopefully Morwenna can take care of James Henry while I run an errand." She told him as she put the baby in the carseat.

"I'm not hungry so don't worry about it. I kin take kere of the lit'le tacker for ee. I'd luv to. Al can take kere of the lunch crowd on his own fer once." He said eagerly.

"Phew! That's a relief! I won't be long but it's very important. When I get back, want to see the rough draft of the plans? Maybe give me some advice?" She answered him happily.

She called Martin and told him the plan which was a good thing because the surgery was extremely busy and Morwenna was swamped. "Things have a way of working out for the best, don't they? Remember, that's what Mary used to say."

"I remember ever' word that woman ever said. It be a long time since I fed a babe. What if I mess up?" He was getting nervous.

"You won't. I'll get you started and then you can rock him to sleep. He likes being read to by the way. Lots of book to choose from. And if you need help, Martin is just in the next room."

She got James Henry's lunch ready – cereal and peaches – which he refused. But he did want his bottle. She got him and Bert settled in the rocking chair and a book for later. Bert was over the moon with happiness. "Kin I ask ee to not hurry back?" She smiled, kissed them both and left.

The journey to Trevathan Farm was uneventful, she met Mr. Riley and got the prints, two of which were beautifully framed, picked up some Yarg cheese for themselves and Bert and left for home. She went in the back door, found Bert asleep on the sofa, went upstairs to check on the baby and hid the pictures from Bert. James Henry was peacefully asleep and his temperature felt normal. All was good.

"Might as well take the opportunity to call Billy and work on my plans." She slipped quietly out the back door and called him – no answer so she left a message. Just as she opened her laptop, Bert woke up.

"Hey luv. Didn't hear ye come in. Kin ee show my yur plans?" Computers were mystery to Bert in spite of the fact that his son was a wizard about them.

"Yes but just on the computer. They're not ready to print out yet. Sit down and look at the screen." She answered as she stood up and he sat down. He squinted at the screen at a total loss.

"What th' hell is that? Can ee make sense of all them lines?" He asked.

"Wait! Just let me explain" She explained what he was looking at. "Just pretend that you're looking at paper drawings. The difference is that I can move these walls, add windows, fixtures, even windows. There's the electrical wiring and plumbing. See what I'm talking about?"

"Ey, that's fec…I mean that's wunerful!" He exclaimed.

"Yes it is. We're going to replace the boiler with propane gas. Somehow they'll have to figure out a way to put in vents. That's going to be difficult I think." She said with a wrinkled brow.

"Ye asked for me opinion, right? Well then, just replace the ol' boiler with a _new_ boiler. The house was always cold 'cause the old boiler be wore out and the new don't' be near as big. That's the warmest heat they is. And have ye looked at them radiaters? They be true antiques. Joan always took such good kere of 'um. Boo-tiful finish that only age kin give. Ha! Like me! Ee used to be crazy about old stuff. Couldn't get enough of 'em." He told her.

"We didn't think of that. I'll take a look at them next time I go to the farm. I wish I could be there every day! I'm so anxious to get started. Scared and happy at the same time." She actually looked scared and happy he thought.

"It be time for me to go. Al's been on 'is on long enough. Glad we spent some time together. Don't happen near often enough. Bye my luv." He said as he went toward the back door.

"No, it doesn't. If you can spare the time, why not go with me to the farm one day? Your advice would be so valuable to us." She smiled and waved as he gave a thumbs up and walked down the hill.

Martin didn't have time for a lunch but he took a quick break for a cup of tea. He looked so tired! She quickly fixed a sandwich for him to go with his tea. "I don't have time to eat. Just tea."

"Yes you do! You shouldn't treat patients on an empty stomach. Just sit down for five minutes and eat!" She commanded.

He started to glare at her but her worried face stopped him. She cared about him and that deserved a little patience on his part. In between bites he said, "We both can't go tonight because of James Henry so that makes my plan unworkable. What do you suggest we do?"

"How about I ask him to meet me at the hall for…I don't know why. Let's both think about it. You want to stay here with James Henry instead of going to the party don't you?" She asked.

He gave her a wry look and nodded.

"I know! He was talking about old radiators this morning and the hall has some beautiful ones. I'll ask him to go with me to see them. I know this doesn't make sense to you now but I'll explain later. I'll call him."

He gulped down the rest of the tea and returned to work. Bert agreed to go to the hall with her so all was set.

She heard James Henry on the monitor and went up to get him. He greeted her with a smile and smelly diaper. "Whew! Getting rid of that must make you feel better! I hope you're ready to eat something."

She carried him downstairs and fixed some cereal and fruit and he ate all of it. "That's my boy! Now let's see how much bottle you take." She was relieved that he took all of it. "I do believe you're feeling better. Daddy's going to be very happy to hear this. Now, it's time for your bath. I have to say that you really need one."

She continued to talk to him while she got his bath ready. He didn't splash as much as usual but still seemed to enjoy it. "There's nothing like the smell of a clean baby." He still wanted to be cuddled more than usual and wouldn't go in the playpen. "That's ok. Daddy and I like to cuddle with you. How about a book? Want me to read to you?" She sat on the couch with him resting against her and read to him until he dropped off to sleep again. He was tired, too. She gently laid him in the playpen with a soft, warm blanket and he slept on.

Martin closed the surgery and was tired to the bone. Thank goodness Louisa prepared a bowl of hearty soup along with crunchy bread and cheese. Before anything else, he wanted to know how James Henry was. Hearing that he was much better, he was ready to eat and have a cup of hot, hot tea.

"I won't stay at the party any longer than I have to. It's been a rough couple of days for all of us. And I have things to discuss with you and plans to show you." Slight frustration was in her voice as she spoke.

He touched her cheek softly and his message was clear without words. James Henry stirred, rolled over on his back, saw his Daddy and whimpered to get his attention. Martin immediately picked him up, holding him close. He soon grew tired of that and pushed back to look at his Daddy's face and grinned. "Louisa, it's time for you to leave if you're going to meet Bert. And don't worry about getting back here. Enjoy yourself."

She nodded and went upstairs to change clothes, get the present, kissed them goodbye and left. She met Bert and walked with him to the hall where all seemed dark and quiet. They went in and a packed room all yelled "Surprise!" Bert jumped a little and then belly laughed until he was breathless. "Ee got me! How did'um keep all this from me? And you, Louiser! Radiators indeed! Al, com'ere. You did this? Aw, Morwenna, you be a good'un fer sure. Thanks, all of ee! This be a great party!" He made the rounds thanking everyone, joking and drinking cider. The band struck up a dance tune and he made his way to Louiser, bowed and asked for her hand in a very dignified way. He led her out to the dance floor and, according to Al's previous instructions; the band started playing a vigorous polka. Never one to miss an opportunity to show off, he and Louisa comically danced their way around the room, trying to stay off the other's toes, before everybody else joined in. The food was ready and all declared it to be delicious. The cake was indeed a work of art – it was the harbor made of icing. He had to walk all around it, commenting and pointing out the features before blowing out the candles and insisted that Morwenna serve it. He was presented with his presents and made jokes while he opened each one until his got to Al's. He got very quiet and just held it in his hands staring at it. He carefully put it aside and continued with the rest of them. He unwrapped the picture of James Henry and held it up for the guests to see. "Now tell the trut'. Have any of ee seen a more 'ansome lit'le tacker? It ain't possible I tell you all now. That's it so let's dance!" He didn't know it but one of Al's friends was videotaping the whole thing.

The party went on and on, even after the food ran out and Bert enjoyed every minute of it. Louisa slipped out and wearily made her way up Rosscarrock Hill to the surgery. James Henry was asleep and Martin was reading in bed while waiting for her return.

She undressed, visited the loo, fell into bed and immediately went to sleep. Martin turned off the light, spooned up against her and he too, slept. It seemed like he had just dropped off to sleep when the phone rang. It was Mrs. Wallice and this time it sounded serious; severe chest pains and shortness of breath. "I'll call an ambulance and be there as quickly as I can. Don't exert yourself in any way." Louisa heard the conversation, got up, ready to help. "Go back to bed Louisa and get some sleep." He was an expert at dressing quickly and, within ten minutes, he was in the car and on his way.

He arrived to a see a dark house with all the doors locked. Nothing for it, he had to break in. He picked up a rock and broke a window. The moonlight shone enough so that he could see a lamp close by. He turned it on, unlocked the back door and called out for her, "Mrs. Wallice, can you hear me? Where are you?" He heard her moaning upstairs and ran up to find her on the floor outside the loo. Fortunately, she made a habit of carrying her cell phone where ever she went. Martin remarked later that the habit saved her life. "Mrs. Wallice, can you hear me? Just rest quietly, the ambulance is on its way." He provided the proper care and soon heard the ambulance. The paramedics took over but before they carried her out, she lifted the oxygen mask, touched Martin's hand and actually smirked! "This time I _really_ needed you! And Martie dear, cover the window before you leave, will you poppet?"

They couldn't carry her away too fast to suit him! "Witch!" In spite of his dislike of her, he did tape a large plastic waste bag over the window. "Humph! More than she deserves!"

Dawn was breaking when he entered the village and the phone rang again. This time it was Al. "Doc, can you come?" His voice broke and he continued, "Dad…he won't…I can't wake him up."

"I'll be there in five minutes." He drove much too fast for the narrow streets, stopped the car and raced in the house. Al was there waiting for him, lost and bewildered. "This way Doc. I can't wake him up." Just then, Morwenna stumbled through the door, still in her robe and house shoes. She looked at Al's face and didn't speak, just held his hand. Martin went in Bert's bedroom and knew immediately that he was dead. He died peacefully in his sleep. Martin's hands shook a little as he verified his diagnosis and when writing out the death certificate. He turned again to look at Al but had no words for him. He just shook his hand, went out of the room and called the coroner. Morwenna heard him whisper, "Louisa. How do I tell Louisa?"

* a pixie

I know I really stepped outside the series by Bert dying. This seems like a lousy excuse but, it's a part of Martin and Louisa's growth both individually and as a couple. Hope I don't upset any one too much. It wasn't easy to write.


	62. Chapter 62

Chapter 62

The coroner just nodded his head and the ambulance took him away. He, like so others in the surrounding area, had been friends with Bert since childhood.

Martin pulled into his parking space at the surgery and sat there. What was he supposed to say? He was tactless, clueless and had been told over and over again that he was unfeeling, mannerless, rude and bloody gormless! But he had never felt this helpless. She was waiting on him, probably with a smile and a hot breakfast.

She greeted him at the door with her beautiful smile and a kiss. James Henry grinned and made baby noises to get his attention. He looked so weary! "Martin, what is it? Sit down and I'll fix your espresso." She hurried to fix his breakfast and coffee and he picked up James Henry. He didn't speak, just held him close and rocked back and forth. She placed her hand on his shoulder and he turned around. His expression was so tortured! Not over Mrs. Wallice, surely. "Martin, tell me what's wrong. What happened? TELL ME!" She was frightened now.

He said simply, "Louisa, Bert died in his sleep last night. Al called me as I was on the way home."

She stumbled back and stared at him, shaking her head. Face white, she said, "All right, I guess I should go and see Al. Sit down and eat. I'll take James Henry and clean him up." And she left the room.

Martin was stunned. He expected tears, sobbing actually. Anything but this! He stared at his egg, felt like gagging and threw it away. He couldn't swallow a thing.

He watched Louisa and James Henry walk down the hill until they were out of sight, feeling as useful as a tick.

They went in the house where she was brought up and there were so many memories of laughter and love. Al stood in the middle of the room crying and Morwenna had her arms around him, crooning to him all the things people say to comfort those who are grieving.

She left the baby in the lounge while she went to Bert's room. When Mary died, he swapped out their double bed for a single one. He couldn't bear to sleep in that bed ever again. He had placed his new pictures on the bedside table where he could easily see them. That's where he died. Last night. He shouldn't have died. Spending yesterday with him had been so wonderful. Now he was dead. Why didn't she make the effort to spend more time with him? She turned and tiptoed out, almost like she would disturb someone if she was too loud.

Al was sitting at the kitchen table and Morwenna was fixing tea. Their eyes were red and swollen, "Want some tea Louisa?"

"No…no thanks. Al, call me when it's time to make the arrangements and I'll be here." She turned blindly and pushed the pram out the door. The news had spread through the village and people wanted to speak to her but her expression stopped them. She didn't even remember walking up the hill, just suddenly in the kitchen. James Henry wasn't used to being ignored and started fussing. She automatically picked him up, did what was necessary then put him in the carryall on the table. This wasn't right! Mommy didn't talk or sing to him. He did the only thing he could do; he cried. Martin was pacing back and forth in the consulting room worrying about her when he heard their son. When the crying didn't stop after a few minutes, he went to check on them. Louisa was staring out the window with that heartbreaking expression. He didn't worry about doing what others thought he should do or if what he did would be wrong – he just turned her around and held her. The dam broke and she sagged against him, crying with deep racking sobs. One of the last layers of the wall he had built to protect himself from hurt was removed.

Al called that afternoon to tell her to meet him at Smith's Funeral Home* to make the arrangements. Martin offered to accompany her but, no; this was for her and Al to do.

The funeral was held Wednesday afternoon in the same chapel that Martin and Louisa were married and where Joan's service was held. People were crammed in the chapel and standing in the surrounding grounds where ever they could find space. Martin nodded to Chris and Carol further back in the crowd and recognized many of Louisa's friends from Truro – even some from London. So many people wanted to say something about Bert; how kind he was, how he helped this one or that one, something funny he did, the pranks he pulled and on and on. Al and Louisa had trouble getting to the burial site because so many went there with them.

Martin, James Henry and Morwenna stood quietly back out of the way. When it was over, Al and Louisa stood arm in arm by the grave and said their private goodbyes. It was time to go home.

Martin duties in the surgery had finished and Louisa cancelled her appointments for the following week. She rescheduled her appointment with Conan Davies for Friday week and arranged for Billy to come see her plans that same afternoon. Time for tears, grief that felt unbearable, guilt over the first laugh she and Al shared and then life went on. He decided to give up the restaurant explaining that he never wanted it but stayed in it because of Bert. Instead, he wanted to concentrate on his computer repair business and, hopefully, open a shop. Louisa made a mental note to attend the next council meeting and bring his name up as the most qualified person in the area to have the contract to maintain all the county computers. Martin had told her about the new GP needing an office but not for two months. Should they offer to rent the surgery to him or as a holiday cottage or sell it? If he wanted it for his surgery, the farm house would have to be ready for them to live in by the time he was ready to start work. November 15th, the day Martin reported to the hospital was the following Monday. James Henry's five month birthday was Sunday, November 14th and Ruth was coming for the weekend to help celebrate. How in the world would they get it all done? Fortunately, they both worked well under pressure and being busy helped her cope with grief.

During this time, he spoke with Morwenna about her future employment and offered a proposition. "If you're interested, the hospital in Truro, along with other hospitals in this area, offers in-house training for all types of health service workers. Does more education sound appealing to you or do you wish to continue as my secretary?"

Just like the Doc to not forget her and also like him to wait till the last minute to talk to her about it. "Gee Doc, that's nice of you but I got other plans. Want to hear'em?" She was beaming with excitement.

"Yes." Was his usual terse reply.

"You remember I told Louiser that it'ud be a good idea if the Truro Penwith College would set up an extension at the leisure center?" Again he said yes and she continued, "Well, they've agreed to do it and I'm goin' to take accounting. Me! Goin' to college! I even got a grant! Doc, you and Louiser been so good to me, made me proud for the first time in me, I mean, _my_ life. And takin' the time to think of me now with all you got on your plate. I can't thank you enough." He was turning fiery red so she knew it was time to stop talking and walk away before he took her head off.

He called her back and said, "Tell Louisa your news. She needs to hear things like that." He blushed some more and hurriedly walked away.

Martin called Chris and offered to rent or sell the surgery to the new GP. The villagers were accustomed to the location and the consulting room was already set up. Chris said his name was Scott Taylor, he was an immigrant from Australia, couldn't be happier with his situation and was eager to get started. Dr. Taylor called Martin and explained the two month delay and was very interested in purchasing the surgery. Louisa sent pictures and details of the building, including the asking price, by email. She was very careful to include pictures of the spectacular views of the harbor from the terrace. Once he saw _those_ pictures, the deal was made. That was one debt gone but also the opportunity for income from a holiday rental.

Billy suggested that she share her rough draft with him so he could study it before he met her Friday afternoon. She sent her log on and they could converse via the computer. He very politely made changes but softened the blow by telling her, "Not bad for your first try." He told her to put the plans side by side and study the differences to see what she did wrong. Martin studied them with her, especially the kitchen. "I don't see anything about the new heating system."

"Oh, with all the confusion, I forgot to tell you what Bert said. We should replace the old boiler; not switch to propane. The new ones are more efficient, smaller and they provide very warm heat and the radiators are already in place, except for the addition of course. And Joan loved the old radiators and took excellent care of them. And Billy agrees with it. Now, the important question – do you?" She purposely gave him a very wide eyed and pleading look.

His return look was priceless – amused and resigned at the same time. "How could a husband refuse that look? Plus, I remember Auntie Joan polishing them. She was very conscious of the historical features of the house. But we have to install guards around them to protect James Henry in case he should fall against one of them."

"Well that's fortunate since I've cancelled the order." She ginned impishly at him before turning serious. "Do you really want to make the switch to propane? I haven't cancelled it but definitely feel I should. And way ahead of you. Here's a catalog with a good assortment of guards for us to choose from."

He shook his head and told her, "I'll take a look at them and, as far as choosing the heating system, I said it's your decision. I just want it warm and comfortable. You know, my salary will increase substantially with my position at the hospital and that enables us to do the complete renovation all at the same time instead of piecemeal. Do you think Mr. Higgins can give us assurances that it will be finished in two months? Or if not, that it can be lived in without endangering James Henry's health while the work is completed."

She shrugged her shoulders and replied, "All we can do is ask. I'd be a lot surer of it if I weren't doing it. But," and they both said at the same time, "He'd said he'd walk me through it." He knew her mantra as well as she did causing her to smile ruefully. "I hear James Henry. Will you see to him while I study these plans? I already see one glaring mistake; the wiring is on the _outside_ of the walls. Geez, I wonder what other evidence of my genius awaits me?"

"Well, at least your plumbing matches your wiring." He teased and left to take care of their son.

*Smith Funeral Home is made up.


	63. Chapter 63

Chapter 63

She stared in mild disbelief at the plans. Two _glaring_ mistakes and counting. Martin took care of the baby for the day while she immersed herself in a crash course on architecture. Her appreciation of Billy's knowledge grew as she dug deeper into all the aspects of his plan. He had long ago mastered the use of computer programs to aid in his profession. She opened an attached file and discovered notes he had made for her. What a treasure! They explained each and every element of the plan down to the last detail and how they differed from hers. There was a list of reliable people/companies to call for everything from the electrical to the painting. And he did it so quickly! Walk her through it, indeed!

She stopped for a cup of tea, saw them coming up the hill, Martin carrying both James Henry and two bags of groceries, and added more water to the kettle. She opened the door and ushered them in out of the chilly wind. "Let me have him while you unload the groceries. What's for dinner? Fish maybe?" She asked with an innocent expression.

He completely missed her teasing and answered seriously, "Why, yes. Monk fish just off Danny's boat. I thought we could steam it."

"Without butter hopefully." She was still teasing him and he finally got on.

He gave her a quick glance, saw her innocent expression and answered, "I think I'd like to try a different way of preparing the fish. Let's pan fry it instead with copious amounts of beer batter along with some fried potatoes. Nice change, don't you think?"

Her mouth dropped open, not at the idea of him frying fish but that he was teasing her! "Oh my love! You're a getting good at this! Since I haven't spent time with my son today, I'll take care of him and you do the cooking."

"By the way, Danny told me to tell you hello and that his younger brother has started a painting company. His card is in my overcoat if you wish to call him."

She looked at the card and recognized the name as the first one on Billy's list of painters. She sat on the sofa with James Henry and talked, read and sang to him. He would get the most comical expressions on his little face and coo and babble just as if he was carrying on the most fascinating conversation ever. They played 'Where's your belly button, tummy, hands, nose, etc? I see it!' 'This little piggy went to market' made him giggle so loudly that his Daddy came to watch. He turned and left when she started the dreaded patty cake game. "Gawd! And I thought pee pi was silly!"

"Well James Henry, I believe it's time for you to eat. I'm going to see how you like sweet potatoes tonight. Yum! Your Daddy bought some for me as a present a long time ago. I must say they were the most unusual present I've ever gotten but they tasted delicious. Have I told you about your Daddy? How unusual he is; how talented; how smart; how annoying he can be? Well, he's all those things _and_ an amazing cook! Dinner smells so good I can almost forget we're eating fish…again! Come on, I'll get your cereal ready." She fed him as she watched Martin cooking. He was so sure and precise and not a wasted movement! Those big hands could do delicate work like repair the smallest parts of a clock, finely mince spices, clamp a gushing vein together with his fingers and hold it for as long as necessary, or manhandle a panicked and drowning patient out of the ocean. With a blush and a grin, she thought of what they could do her! This must be what he was like performing surgery. Such an impressive man.

James Henry's eyes widened when he tasted the sweet potatoes and he smacked his lips in excitement. "Hee hee, good idn't?" Martin looked at her and wondered if she realized that was how Bert had talked to his grandson. "O-o-o, you're a fine lit'le tacker! And 'ee is so 'ansome!" She noticed his questioning gaze and explained, "This language is part of his heritage and I want him to understand when some of the villagers talk. Not feel like an outsider."

He nodded in agreement and said, "I've also been speaking to him in French. Being bilingual will be a definite asset for him. Sweet potatoes are a very nutritious food for him and he seems enjoy them. Dinner's ready to serve. Do you think he'll want a bottle after such a big meal or can we eat first?"

"I don't see how he could want more! Look at that tummy! Oh, you'd better watch out, I going to get your tummy!" She tickled him gently and he chuckled, clearly enjoying the attention. "I think we'll have time to eat. Did you put mint in something? It smells so fresh!"

"Yes, in the boiled potatoes. And I made Balsamic Kale and Radicchio Sauté."

"Believe me, I'm not complaining," she said as he served their plates, "but this seems very fancy."

"Just think what's ahead of us. I feel a little celebration is in order and, when I feel like that, I cook something special." He waited for her to begin, took his first bite and sighed with pleasure.

They finished, he fixed their tea and… placed a box of Chocolate Digestives in front of her. "I noticed you were out. Will you share some with me, please? I understand they're very good with tea."

She jumped up, ran around the table and hugged him. "I knew you'd come around! We're celebrating so two each sounds reasonable. Enjoy!" She placed two on his napkin but he quickly held up his hand and gave one back with a "Good god no! I mean, er…just one for me please." He nibbled on his thinking of calories and fat while she ate hers and sighed with pleasure.

But it wasn't the last time she sighed with pleasure that night.

*Geez, here I go writing about something else of which I know so little – remodeling! But what an adventure for L and we all secretly know she's up to it. I'm writing the story but still appreciate DM's complete faith in her.*


	64. Chapter 64

Chapter 64

The next morning he got up early as was his habit and went to the leisure center for a vigorous workout. They took advantage of neither having anyplace they _had_ to be so she went next. Buddy ran back and forth with both of them. When he finished escorting both of them on their trips, he collapsed in his bed, tongue hanging out from exhaustion. But, he managed to perk back up when his food was set on the floor in front f him!

Martin had the unusual pleasure of spending another whole day with his son. It was time for his mid morning nap and Martin, needing to read the employee handbook from the hospital, decided to kill two birds with one stone and used it as the nap time story. And found a nice surprise!

He and James Henry went for their daily walk, ran some errands and stopped at the grocers to buy something for dinner. And, since their schedule would be unpredictable for the next few months, he invited Chris, Carol and their children to dinner the following Saturday. The children had a conflicting schedule so just the parents were coming. Louisa was wrapped up in the remodel and just nodded distractedly when he told her that he would handle all the arrangements. He knew that one of Carol's favorite dishes was Lamb shank tagine with tabbouleh* so decided to prepare it. She specialized in sponge cakes and volunteered to make one for their dessert – a Victorian Sponge with homemade strawberry jam and whipped cream. He had to admit that having the time to prepare special, even complicated, dishes was very enjoyable.

Louisa spent the day on the phone setting up appointments. She called the first person/company on Billy's lists since they were probably, in his opinion, the best ones to call anyway and scheduled them back to back starting Saturday. Amazing but they were all expecting her call and the appointments fell in line. Billy again! She was getting spoiled!

Since Morwenna wouldn't start attending classes until after January 1, Louisa called and asked if she could help with babysitting James Henry if needed. "Course I can. I got plenty of time on my hands and sure could use the extra money."

"That's a relief. How's everything else going?" They had a good gossip, and too soon, back to calling about the remodel.

Martin came in the room at the tail end of the conversation and signaled that he needed to talk to her after the present call. "What is it?" She asked.

"They're starting a new benefit at the hospital that will be a great help to us. They'll have an in house daycare for children of the employees shortly and parents can monitor their children on their cell phones, tablets, etc. I can take James Henry in with me if necessary." He suggested.

She was doubtful at first. "You're going to have enough on your plate getting accustomed to the routines and everything without taking on James Henry, too. At least at first."

"Louisa, James Henry is not something I _take on_." He said sternly. "It seems to me that this arrangement not only helps you but relieves my mind considerably. He won't be in the middle of construction and all its attendant dust and noises; he'll keep reasonably on schedule and I can feed him lunch just about every day." He sounded almost…excited.

"You're excited to do this aren't you?" She smiled tenderly as she asked.

"Well yes, I am. Working here I felt I could step in to check on him anytime I had a break in my schedule. Now I still can. Not every day you understand. We shouldn't expose him to germs from other children any more than necessary."

"I was just talking to Morwenna and she's agreed to take care of him _here_ whenever we need her to until school starts in January. Let's take advantage of the convenience while we can. Agree? Good. Now, back to the phone!"

That evening, James Henry was in bed and they sat on the sofa having a cuppa. "Tomorrow, I really get started. My list says 'Friday, 11:00 meet with Conan Davies at the cottage, then to the tenant house to assess their potential as rental properties.

3:00 meet with Billy'. We may have to lay out some funds to make the properties really profitable. The cottage will need the least improvement but the tenant house is questionable! Want to drive out to see it with us? I've got some ideas for it."

"Yes, I do. I'm interested to see it again. It's been years since I was inside it. I can meet Mr. Davies and you at the house and we can see it together. I'd like to have an idea of the renovations needed to make it attractive to holiday makers. What're your ideas?" He asked.

"Keep it rustic. Let tourists have the 'Cornish' experience – with modern conveniences of course." She said the last with a chuckle. "Modernize the bathroom, heating system, wiring and plumbing of course, check the well…wait a minute! Doesn't this list have a familiar ring to it?"

"Why yes. Since the houses are the same age, they should have the same problems. No surprise." He said matter of factly.

"Well, if you look at it that way! So logical!" The last part was said with a mock indignation. On hearing it, he cocked one eyebrow and a superior look was on his face. "Oh, you've got some cheek!" Giggling, she lightly slapped his thigh and kissed his check. "Now, if I may continue? In other words, modern and safe but warm and rustic. Leave as much original as possible, especially in the kitchen. Hide the microwave in a cabinet. If the stove is like the one at the farm house, we could have them both refurbished at the same time. And the refrigerator. Old ones have so much character! If it can't be refurbished, then we can buy another like the one you picked out for the farm house. Maybe get a break on the price if he does all three. My appointment with Billy is at three, remember. Don't you want to hear what he has to say?"

He looked hesitantly at her and didn't answer. "Martin my love. You know you do! I appreciate your faith in me more than I can ever say but I would much rather have you involved. Things like your preference for the floor covering in the kitchen and the material for constructing the deck. Not every aspect of it. Just…well, remember your thing about surprises? That you hate them? I'd rather that not happen so, be involved! I'll be 'in charge' just like we planned but when I want your opinion, please give it to me. Now, I'm thinking composite for the deck. No upkeep, no rot.

One thing that would be an attractive point for the renters is a pagoda, or at least a picnic area, down by the cliffs since there's no view of the ocean from the house. It's a short, pleasant walk. What'd you think?"

"I think that the costs are adding up. We may have to delay renovations to the tenant house. Unless you have satisfactory negotiations with the sub contractors that is. I took another look at our finances this afternoon while James Henry was napping and revised the figures somewhat. Now, I'd like your input on that.

As to preferences; slate for the kitchen, downstairs bathroom and the boiler/storage room floors. I hope you can still fit in a pantry – even a small one is better than nothing." He replied.

She nodded in agreement and said, "I've done a little research on new boilers . Here's a catalogue. And the deck material?" With her constant companions – pad and biro – in hand.

"I bow to your preferences. We could go on talking about this for the rest of the night but Dr. Black sent me some surgery notes and asked that I review them. I must get back with her in tge morning. But before I start, more tea?" He loosened his tie and rolled up his sleeves as he spoke. His jacket had come off before James Henry was rocked to sleep.

"Yes please." She smiled appreciatively as he walked to the kitchen. Lovely build! What was it that Elaine said about Al's bum? Lush? That's it. Lush. She didn't think he'd noticed how much he'd relaxed since they married. For a while after they became engaged, he was always perfectly buttoned up, groomed and pressed. He sat knees close together, hands folded, perfect posture and giving a bang on impression of someone who expected to be dismissed from her presence because of some faux pas that he didn't understand or even know he committed. Quite different in the bedroom of course, not shy or timid at all! Now he leaned comfortably back on the sofa and engaged in real conversations with her. Sometimes she put her stocking feet on the coffee table and he didn't even notice!

He brought their tea, sat down, started reading and making notes on his laptop. She carried her tea upstairs to drink while she got ready for her shower. The baby had rolled over onto his tummy, knees drawn up with his feet crossed over the other. She smoothed his blanket and tiptoed out of the room.

She was asleep by the time he came up. He, too, checked on the baby, smoothed his blanket and tiptoed out of the room, undressed quietly and slipped under the warm covers and fell asleep.

The next morning they both skipped exercising. Buddy stood, tail wagging and looking from one to the other. He seemed to say "Let's go humans! Come on, come on let's go!" All he got was a trip outside and his breakfast.

Soft boiled eggs, soldiers, espresso and talk about their finances were their breakfast. He carefully showed her how much and from where the finances available for the renovation came from. He had upped the amount considerably because of his position at the hospital and the sale of the surgery which added to their cash on hand. She agreed that it would be enough to at least do the farmhouse.

She left for her appointment early and walked around the cottage trying to imagine what holiday makers would think of staying there. It was a bright, cheerful place with an enviable address. She had updated it slowly by doing it, for the most part, by herself or with Bert and Al's help. Flat screen tv and wi-fi connections. She wouldn't want to stay in a place that didn't have those amenities! The main drawback was the one bedroom. Nothing she could do about that except get a sleeper sofa or maybe a roll-a-way bed. Conan would advise her. Soon, he knocked on the door and, with him, was a woman in her fifties from the look of her. Very bright and friendly. She turned out to be the supervisor of the maids that Conan had on payroll to care for the rental properties he managed.

"This is my Aunt Berlewen Newth. She lived in Canada for the past thirty years until her husband died. Now she's home and works for me – among other things. Aunt Berlewen, this is Louiser Ellingham, one of my oldest friends." He said as the women shook hands and nodded. "She'll check the linens and things like that and I'll talk with you about this place and your expectations regarding it. I'll ask questions that'll seem impertinent but, believe me; they're for your benefit."

They walked around looking at the features of the cottage. Far and away the best was the deck and the views. "The cottage looks to be in excellent shape. No structural defects, clean, pleasing décor, wi-fi, a new flat screen tv and a washer/dryer. Perfect! Should rent for a tidy sum. During peak season, at least $###." Louisa blinked at the amount. Twice as much as she had planned on. "Since they've been filming that tv show about the doc here, there isn't really a down time so say, two thirds of the peak season rates. My commission is usually $### and I pay the maids out of it. You continue to pay the utilities, upkeep and mortgage. Will that work for you? You need to be absolutely sure, Louisa. Our contract will be for a year and I won't let you out of it. If I do that, my contracts will mean nothing. Understand?"

Louisa swallowed, managed a nod and tried not to show how the amount surprised her. "But I want to talk to Martin before I agree to anything."

He nodded in return and continued, "Now let's hear what Auntie has to say." And continued to inspect the appliances as she spoke very rapidly.

"Everything you have is acceptable but you need more. This'll be self caterin' so, when it's rented, I'll come once a week to leave fresh linens and towels which I'll keep a supply of for you in storage along with extra glasses and place settings for me to replace broken things with. Another toaster, coffee pot, too. You know, the necessities, especially for the Americans. Got to have their coffee! Your china looks to be stock for rental places. Oh, and you need a comfortable sleeper sofa." She stopped talking, looked almost sternly at Louisa and asked, "You did plan on more beds, didn't you? Good! The expense won't be very much even with the sofa. We can help you there, you know. Conan has a contract with a supplier for B&B's, hotels and holiday rentals. Get's good things at good prices. That's their slogan you know. 'Good things at good prices.' Catchy, ain't it. Sell even cleanin' supplies which you have to furnish for the renters and me, by the way. And, all the soft goods _have_ to be _non-allergenic_! Don't want a visit to the doctor or have an ambulance pull up in front of one of your places because of an allergy attack. Word of advice, take anything out of here that's valuable or has value to you. Most people are honest but why take chances?"

Louisa stared at her dazedly until she realized an answer was required and nodded weakly in response to this torrent of words. Conan was evidently accustomed to his aunt and said cheerily, "Proper job! Let's crack on to the next house. We'll follow you Louiser."


	65. Chapter 65

Chapter 65

She blew her horn when they passed by the farm house to signal Martin. Conan wanted to inspect the exterior of the house before going inside. "Lots of potential, very rustic, very charming. The garden needs attention; perhaps lay a patio big enough for table and chairs and one of those huge umbrellas. Here comes your husband now. Hello James Henry! Hello Doc." He made the mistake of extending his hand and, as was usual with the Doc, it was left hanging in mid air. "And there's Buddy! Hi, little fellow. We're just going inside. This is my aunt, Berlewen Newth. She supervises the maids." Buddy took off to explore this new setting.

Martin gave his usual greeting – a nod – and accompanied them into the house, carrying James Henry in his arms.

Conan walked around, inspecting every room, the windows, heating system, furniture and paid particular attention to the kitchen. "As I said; lots of potential. Which way do you plan on going - very rustic with minimal furnishings or a complete remodel?"

Martin wore his usual scowl and said, "We were considering a combination of the two. A thorough cleaning and redecorating, new windows, wiring and plumbing, check the well, new boiler and add a picnic area down by the cliffs overlooking the ocean. We hope to keep the kitchen as is; just refurbished. My wife and I both think it will add to the ambiance of the place." And he continued to stare at Conan waiting on a reply.

Louisa interjected, "And wi-fi and flat screen tv.

"Yes, no question. Should work just fine. Keep it as an 'authentic Cornwall farm house', old fashioned furniture, as you said, ambiance. I think, conservatively, you can get $### a week in the peak seasons. What do you think, Auntie?"

And, she was off! "Absolutely! Wonderful ideas! As to the furniture, you've got some nice pieces in the bedrooms. Just need cleanin' and polishin'. New mattresses of course. I know some children of a deceased farmer who want to sell up; don't want to farm or live there. Want to be city folk!" She snorted derisively and continued, "Anyway, sellin' the furniture, too. The real thing if you're lookin' for authentic. I'll check it out if you want or you can yourself. Makes no difference but I enjoy goin' to auctions. Once I found…" and there was a long and rambling story of how someone almost caused her to lose a real treasure but she outsmarted him. That led to other stories along the same line. "The kitchen would be a real selling point if you can do it right. Old hobs are real popular now. Are you going to try to keep the refrigerator 'cause your renters will be wowed by it. It's amazin' to me how much better the old appliances are than the new ones. Bells and whistles but no character. No character at all. Now the garden…"

She rattled on and Louisa could sense Martin's annoyance growing. James Henry could, too, and started fretting. Martin's scowl was ferocious!

"Mrs. Newth, Excuse me, Mrs Newth! Thank you for all your suggestions. I'm sure they'll all be helpful. Dr. Ellingham and I need to talk about all of this and decide on a course of action. We'll be in touch in a couple of days as we're anxious to begin. And, if you're serious about it, please go to the sale and, if you see anything that's of good quality and a reasonable price, call me and I'll meet you there to look at it. You will? Excellent! You have my cell number? Good, let's end this for today. So kind of you to offer all this advice. Yes, as I said, we'll be in touch. Bye, now." Louisa ushered them into their car, shut the door with Mrs. Newth, still talking, and walked over to her waiting family.

"Whew! She's a talker! Are you ok? You still look stressed." Louisa was half worried and the other half wanted to laugh and dance. She ended up just smiling broadly and hugging her two men.

"What are you _smiling_ about? That insane woman? Will we have to deal with her very often?" Martin was no longer scowling. Now he looked shell shocked.

" _You_ won't have to at all except in emergencies. Darling man! I have such news for you but right now we must meet Billy." She was still smiling and now her hands shook a little from excitement.

Martin, of course, noticed and placed his hand over hers with a concerned look. "Louisa, are you well? Please don't let this harm your health."

"I'm just a little nervous about what Billy's going to say about the changes in the plans. I'm ok." She drove off and he followed after putting James Henry in his car seat.

Billy had set up a 'hot spot' with his cell phone and had Louisa's revised plans ready for them on his laptop. The next hour was so much easier for Martin to deal with because he knew what she had planned. Louisa then led them through the house detailing each aspect of the plans for each room. Martin was pleased with the size of the pantry and the loo even though there was just room for a shower in the loo. The new boilers were much smaller and far more efficient than the one Joan used so that room could be much smaller. The new wiring would be concealed with crown molding and there would be plenty of outlets. Billy chimed in that he knew of a couple of people who could refurbish the stove. The plans for the addition and deck were given the go ahead if the cost of the two houses allowed it. "This funny little room is such a puzzle. It just doesn't fit into any sort of reasonable scheme or seem to serve any purpose!" Louisa said as she walked around it.

She took a deep breath and said, "Billy, I have some changes to the schedule and want to know what you think about them. We have two houses to do instead of just this one but I still want to use the one crew and double the number of carpenters as we want this done fast. The company who will check out the well will do this one first to ensure that it's operating as it's supposed to and then go to the other house and do the same thing to that well." She paused for his input but he just nodded. "The electricians, plumbers and the people who will install the new boilers will go first to the other house while the carpenters do the remodel upstairs, convert the old boiler room in to the new smaller one and add the pantry, loo, the addition and deck. The plumbers will be back and forth because the plumbing needs to be put in the loos as they're built. The painters will utilize space in the barn to work on the kitchen cabinets during this time. Then all of them, including the painters, come here to finish this house. By that, I mean the painting, electrical and plumbing."

Billy listened intently, warned her that the best laid plans sometimes had a hitch in them and to be prepared for problems but her plans sounded good. She nodded and then he asked, "What about the cleanin', paintin'; things like that at the other house."

"I'm going to do it. Remember how I used to work for you? And I did a lot with Bert and Mary. So, what do you think? Will it work?" She was nervous and excited. Martin wore his usual scowl and listened while he tended to a fussy James Henry.

"Yes, I think so. You'll have to prepare a weekly schedule for each day for each crew and, as I said, be prepared for surprises. You may have to pay a retainer to keep some of'em from taking other jobs but, if you want it done _fast_ , it'll be worth it. And, about the other house. You talkin' about the old tenant house?"

"Yes, do you have time to go see it with me?" She asked.

"Louisa, I'm not needed now so James Henry and I'll go home. Dinner will be waiting." Martin interjected. He nodded to her, said yes to Billy and turned to leave.

When Billy grunted 'yes' back at him, Martin turned to give him a suspicious look which Billy returned with one of complete innocence. Martin wasn't sure what to make of him so just said his usual, "Humph!" and stalked off.

Billy grinned at his retreating back, turned to her and said, "Sure, Louiser. Let's get as much done as we can tonight. I'll follow you." Said Billy and they drove off.

After Billy's initial look at the house, Louisa led him inside and showed him around, talking as she went. "We aren't planning any additions here except laying a patio with those concrete pavers. Fortunately, in one of the previous renovations, someone put in a half bath. Both loos are in exceptionally good shape. Just need a good cleaning. Did you notice that the toilet on the first level has a pull chain to operate the tank? I bet a lot of people have never seen one before. We want to give the renters a real 'Cornish experience' when they stay here so we're leaving it rustic but with modern amenities – wi-fi, flat screen tv, microwave. The person who does the stove at the house will, hopefully, do this one and the refrigerator also. Look at it! Isn't it unique and charming? It already has slate floors in the kitchen area. You can see that there are wide plank hardwood floors throughout the rest of the house and they're in good shape. I'm going to embrace the scratches and dents since sanding the floors is not an option. The furniture here is of acceptable quality for the most part and I have a lead on some more furniture that's in keeping with our vision. New wiring, plumbing, check the well…pretty much the same things as the house. Now, I want to pick your brain again – about money. I'll tell you in private how much we have on hand and, if you don't mind, tell me if you think it'll be enough to do both houses. The thing is, this house will rent for quite a bit of money and the extra income will certainly come in handy. It looks like we have $### on hand. Is it enough to do both houses?"

"Remember now, this is only a estimate but yes, it's a good start not forgettin' surprises. Probably won't need to borrow more than $### to do proper jobs on both houses." Billy walked around, hands in pocket and whistling through his teeth. "I have a buffer you can use on the floors. Make it a lot easier for you. What are your plans for the second bedroom?" He asked.

"What's so special about the second bedroom? I planned on stripping the wallpaper and painting it." She asked as they walked to the room in question.

"The wallpaper luv. It's in great shape in spite of bein' so old. I'd say it's at least a hundred years old. You want a real Cornish experience? That'll be a big part of it." He said as he ran his hands over the walls. "Course if you don't like it, then remove it. Just my opinion."

"I see what you mean. I've certainly never seen anything like it." She examined the almost invisible seams as she spoke.

"Another thing, you said you had a line of some furniture. Hope it includes some of them wardrobes. This house is sort'a short on closets." Once again the sage Billy pointed out the obvious.

"Yes, I already thought of that. Oh I forgot to show you this. It's a contract for the sub-contractors. I checked it against the one in your notes and it looks ok to me. Can you take a look at it?"

"Sure luver. Give it here." He examined it carefully and handed it back to her. "Proper job Louiser. Mind, you need one for each house and each contractor. When are your meetin's and do you want me to be here with you? Silent but observant like they say."

"Of course I do! That's such a relief. I meet the first one Saturday morning at eight am. The rest are scheduled back to back all day until four. They all know that I expect an estimate either by the end of the day or by Wednesday of the next week. I hope to get started really quickly. We have to move in by Christmas and I want your honest opinion. Can we be ready? Of course we're concerned about James Henry being around the dust and noise of construction. Then there's the new doctor. He'll want to set up the surgery and move in his home." She looked so serious and worried.

"Of course, there ain't no guaranties but I think it's doable if you're organized." He assured her.

They continued to walk around the house talking, planning and basically just enjoying each other's company until she noticed the time. "I've got to go! Martin will've cooked dinner ages ago. I'm surprised he hasn't called." She looked at her phone and realized the battery was dead. "That's it! Got to run. Thank you Billy. You've always been a good friend." And she locked the door and ran to her car, waving as she went. He waved and left in the opposite direction.

She rushed in the back door to find Martin occupied with the baby and, as she predicted, dinner was ready and being kept warm on the hob. "First thing – plug in the damn phone!" She was in time to bathe a happy and very active James Henry. His grin was 'kissing his ears' and he was chuckling when Martin said in a humorous voice, "Why you cheeky little monkey! That happens to be a perfectly natural bodily function but polite people don't pass gas while in another's presence and then laugh about it! We really must work on your manners!" The baby caught sight of Louisa and increased his wiggling and giggling. Mommy was home! She moved to pick him up and looked ruefully at Martin. He had that scowl on his face that meant concern instead of anger or impatience. Life was easier since she had learned to read his expressions! "Hello love. Sorry I'm late and thank you for keeping dinner warm. My battery was dead so I couldn't call you. I'll bathe this little wiggle worm after we eat. I'm starving!

"I've got so much to tell you! But first, how about a kiss for Mommy? Oh you little angel! Did I hear your Daddy call you a cheeky little monkey? Well, if the shoe fits as they say. Oh my beautiful boy! I missed you and Daddy so much." She held him close, rocking and resting her cheek on his head. Martin paused in his preparations to watch this little tableau of family devotion and he felt, for the thousandth time, like the luckiest man on earth.

"Here's your plate, Louisa. Roasted chicken and vegetables including your favorite, roasted carrots with thyme." He put their water glasses next to their plates as he spoke.

"Hum-m-m, smells good! Here, little centerpiece, sit in your throne while I eat. Then I'm all yours and Daddy's for the night." And she winked at Martin.

And he winked back! Oh Martin! I do love you!


	66. Chapter 66

Chapter 66

They were sitting on the sofa with their evening tea and she told him about her day. When she told him how much the cottage could rent for, his eyes widened, and he asked, "How much did you say?"

She grinned and replied, "I know! I couldn't believe it either. The income will more than replace my salary as Head Teacher even after we pay the mortgage and other bills. I told them we had to talk about it but I bet you're ready to sign. But, remember that the contracts will be for a year and we can't get out of them. I'm sure I want to go ahead with it. I feel that we won't have any trouble renting either of the houses. Agree?

He gave the question his normal consideration and she had learned to be patient. After a few minutes, he agreed with her. "Yes, I agree. We'll more than offset your mortgage payment and that can only be good for our finances. And the income from the tenant house is a bonus. Can you arrange to meet Mr. Davies before I start work?"

"Of course. I'll call him in the morning to set a time. Oh lord, I hope he doesn't bring his aunt!" She exclaimed.

He glared at the thought and gave an Ellingham snort of distaste.

She told him. "I'm going tomorrow and start clearing out the tenant house and pushing the furniture to the middle of the rooms."

"Don't you think a better idea would be to have a storage pod there? Get some men to move the furniture so the house is ready for a complete cleaning. Much easier for the contractors to work, for you to paint, treat the floors – everything." He suggested.

"Yes, excellent idea. Keep in mind I'll need your help at the farm house at some point. I'll gather up all of Joan's personal things and you go through them when you have time. You know those big heavy duty construction waste thingys that you can rent from the waste disposal company? Will you call tomorrow and order three of them? Same as the pods; two at the house and one at the other house. And I'll drive into Truro first thing tomorrow and buy the paint and tools to paint the house. Wait, where's my list?" She trotted to the kitchen and returned with pad and biro, busily writing as she walked. "Calling Conan is #1 for me to call." She paused to think and noticed he had put his laptop and papers on his lap.

"What do you have there?" She asked as she peered at what he had on his laptop screen.

"Dr. Black and Dr. Phillips, one of the surgeons I'll be working with, sent some more surgery notes they want me to critique. Fascinating cases." He answered, eyes narrowed and mind already focused on the notes he was reading. He looked up and said, "They're called skips by the way."

"Skips? Wonder why? Anyway, I'm going to take a shower and then to bed. See you when you come up." She blew him a kiss as she left. She took her shower and prepared for sleep. But she couldn't settle her mind down. So much to think about! And something that continued to puzzle her; that strange little room. What purpose did the builder have in mind when he added it? She punched her pillow, tossed and turned, sighed and got up to make more tea. She passed through the lounge into the kitchen, filled the kettle, got a drink of water and went to stand behind Martin. He was so engrossed in the notes that he hadn't heard a thing. "Oh well, may as well let him work in peace."

She was drinking her tea still thinking about what was ahead of them when he entered the kitchen. He actually jumped when he saw her sitting there. "Louisa! What are you doing down here? You said you were going to bed and, most important of all, why didn't you say anything to me?" He was very huffy!

"I couldn't go to sleep. And, I didn't say anything because you were so engrossed in your work. Have you finished with it?" She answered calmly.

"No, I haven't. The procedures are very different from each other and require completely different approaches. Why can't you sleep? Do you feel unwell?" And he placed his hand on her forehead.

She drew his hand down and kissed the back of it and answered, "Just so much to think about and plan. It's very exciting you know."

He replied, "I suppose it is but you need your rest. Now more than ever. Is there anything in particular that's worrying you? Perhaps I can help you think it through."

"Yes, there is. It's that small, odd little room. What was its purpose supposed to be? It just doesn't make sense! I'm the type person who only wants her puzzles to be in the entertainment section of the paper or in a box ready to be assembled. Not in a house we're going to live in! Aren't you curious about it at all?" She asked with brow furrowed.

"No, not at all. But if you are, let's drive over to the house tomorrow and check it out. We can drive to Truro together and get the things you were talking about, drop it off at the tenant house and then visit the house." He ended with a yawn.

"Yes, let's do that. It's supposed to be cold tomorrow but no rain is expected. We can stop here on the way so I can get my car and I'll follow you. Now husband, let me worry about you for a change. You're tired and sleepy so let's go to bed. I'm sure I'll settle down since I'm also tired. Go on and I'll lock up."

The next morning, instead of sitting over their coffee and reading the paper, they left early for their trip. A man from the hardware store helped load everything into the roomy boot of the Lexus, promised delivery of their other orders and they were off. When they both arrived at the tenant house, Martin opened the rear door and Buddy jumped out and ran to check the perimeter, sniffing for anything unfamiliar. Unloading was quick, Buddy jumped back in and they were off to the farm house.

He said, "What do you think about hiring Morwenna to keep James Henry and I help you work on the houses?"

She had a moment of panic and gave him a startled glance, "It's very good of you to offer but I _really_ think one of us should stay with him as much as possible. Remember you said we were his first and best teachers. And besides, he's so happy with you! And you're going to miss him when you go to work again."

She waited with bated breath for his to answer and could tell he was moved by her statement that James Henry was so happy with him. Everything she said was true but her motive definitely wasn't pure! Martin painting? Or clearing out years of accumulated rubbish? Good god no! He would drive her to distraction critiquing and correcting her technique. He finally agreed that be best use of his free time was taking care of their son. "And, I can prepare healthy, nutritious meals for you. Very wise, Louisa."

She gave a silent sigh of relief and smiled brilliantly at him. "Thank you for offering, Martin. But I'll be fine."

They arrived at the farm house and went in the back door. "Let's do this quickly, Louisa. It's very chilly in here. I would start the boiler but it wouldn't help very much." He held James Henry very close to his warm body as he spoke. Buddy scampered in behind them and curled up on the rug Joan laid down for his bed.

"Yes, I will. Now, look at this wall. It's not a supporting wall; the floor was laid before it went up…" She walked around, feeling and testing it. "Look at the ceiling, Martin. Look at the plaster where it meets the ceiling, how badly it was applied. Look at those small nails. They've nailed it to the ceiling? So odd!" She walked into the room and examined every inch of it. Maybe because she was so intent on it, her feet felt a slight difference in a seam of the planks. She immediately dropped to her knees and ran her hands over the area.

"What is it? Do you see something?" Martin asked as he watched her thorough examination of the floor.

She got up and pushed the wall – and it moved slightly. She turned wide eyes to Martin and pushed it again. "Martin, this wall is temporary. Look at how flimsily it was put up; like an afterthought."

"Be careful Louisa. What are you doing?" He said in his most commanding voice.

Instead of answering, she got up, hurried to the kitchen and returned with a hammer, a screwdriver and a sharp wedge. She dropped to her knees again and started tapping around where she felt the difference. The taps changed to a hollow sound as she tapped further away from the seam. She whispered, "Martin, do you hear that?" Her fingers carefully felt the seam where the sound changed and there was the slightest difference in the gap between the planks. "Martin, that wall is coming down! You and James get out of the way."

"Louisa!" He sputtered as she ran out and came back with a sledge hammer. And wham! The plaster and thin backing broke apart easily and soon, just the baseboard, two studs and the part that was nailed to the ceiling were left. She lifted and shoved it out of the way until it rested on the sofa.

She was running on pure adrenalin now. "Martin put James Henry on this blanket." She laid out a soft, warm blanket on the floor well away from where they were working and Martin grudgingly placed him on it. Fortunately, he was fascinated with his new surroundings and curiously looking around. Buddy trotted over to stand guard over this tiny and obviously precious person.

"Louise, this is entirely unnecessary! What do you expect to find anyway? That wall has been here for as long as I can remember!" He grumbled.

She inserted the thin blade of the screwdriver into the gap she had discovered and gently pried up the plank and it gave a little. Her face pale and excited, she increased the pressure. "I need to use both of them." She said to herself and inserted the wedge and screwdriver and pushed down. The floor started rising and she fell on her backside in surprise and looked at him, mouth agape.

"I'll get a flashlight." It was hard for Martin to look excited but he certainly looked tense. He returned with a flashlight and got on his knees beside her, took the wedge and they started prying at the same time and the floor creaked up higher and higher until they could push it back to rest against the back wall. A gust of frigid air rushed up to greet them and they looked down into a black void – steps barely visible. She grabbed the flashlight and shown it down. They could see a rough set of stairs and barrels that went back further than the light could penetrate.

"I'm going down." She said in an excited but determined voice.

"NO, you're not! Louisa, it could be very dangerous down there!" He said sternly as she proceeded to place her feet on the first stair. She gave him a look of disbelief and climbed down. She stood on the last step and said, "It's a dry, stone floor, very orderly. Maybe bedrock? I don't know. It goes back another twenty feet or so and is about ten feet wide. The walls are stone, too. The barrels are stacked four high and go all the way back and…I think the plugs are intact! We need to call somebody about this. I think it's a pirate's haul. Probably French brandy."

" _Will you please come out of there_! Spiders, mold and god knows what else! Honestly, Louisa! This is unbelievably reckless!" He was spitting out his words and held down his hand down to her, snapping his fingres indicating that she should hurry the hell up!

She came up without taking his hand and stood looking down in the cellar. This time it was his hand left dangling in mid air. "Martin, this is a discovery. I can't remember the last time something like this was found in this area."

"Humph! I don't care if there are gold bars down there; you were very stupid to take such chances!" She started to blast him for saying she was stupid when the real reason for his shouting was revealed as he continued in a tortured voice. "You could have been hurt!"

She looked at him and realized what she had put him through and embraced him. He held tightly, almost lifting her off the floor and buried his face in her neck. She could feel tremors in his arms and whispered, "I'm sorry, Martin. So sorry! I just got over eager. But I'm fine, absolutely fine."

He pulled back and looked at her with burning eyes in a pale face. "Humph! Well, see that you're not so careless in future!" And then, "Louisa, if anything happened to you! What would I do?"

She continued to hold him without speaking until he calmed down. Silently, they put the door back in place, picked up the baby and left. As they approached the parking area, she asked, "Can we speak about it now?"

"Wait until we get inside, please." He parked the car, got the baby and they entered the kitchen accompanied by an eager Buddy. James Henry fretted for his lunch and Martin busied himself with that without looking at or speaking to her.

Louisa removed the baby's bunny suit and looked at that broad back with growing frustration. "Martin, I want to talk about what we found. Really! Nothing happened and I'm _fine_!"

He turned to face her and looked sheepish. "Yes, I know. Perhaps I…over reacted."

She felt a rush of tenderness and smiled at him, "Just a little but it's ok. I can't get upset with you for caring about me. But, I'll tell you who I can call. Believe it or not, Billy knows more about the history of this area than anybody."

"Billy? This is Louiser. Sorry to call you on Sunday but I think you'll be interested in this. That little room has been on my mind so we went to the house to see if I could make sense of it. I'm not exaggerating when I tell you _we did_! Yes, we found a trap door and a cellar and it's full of barrels or casks with the plugs intact. What do you…?"

"Yes, yes it's a dry stone floor. I couldn't detect any moisture at all and it's very cold. Of course you can see it! Do you have any idea who we can call about it? Whoever it is must understand our predicament and that we do _not_ want this to slow down the renovation! That's a wonderful idea! I'll call Reggie right now. If he wants to go see it, do you want to meet us there? You're the expert on this. Ok, I'll call you." She assured him.

"I'm going to call Reggie Burrows. You know him. You treated him for something and told him he was a moron for not doing what you told him to do. He's the editor of the 'Cornish Times" and will know what to do with this news." She told Martin as she looked up his number.

"Hello. May I speak with Reginald Burrows, please? Yes, thank you. Hello, Reggie? It's Louiser. Yes we're all fine."

They exchanged pleasantries until he asked about the purpose of her call. "I know you didn't call me to inquire about my health. What's up?"

There was no doubt about his interest and he asked if they could go that day to see it. She agreed and they planned on meeting that afternoon. She called Billy and he would be there, too, with the head of the Port Wenn Historical Society. "Louiser, this is _big_!"

Conan was delighted to receive her call and said he could bring the contracts tomorrow. No, she would be busy all day. Tonight? Yes. Eight o'clock. They would leave the terrace light on for him.

James Henry was taking his afternoon nap and neither parent wanted to take him out in the cold air again. She left for her meeting and Martin called after her, "Louisa, please be careful!" She called back that she would, got in his car and left.

They were waiting on her, pacing and looking at their watches. When she pulled up and got out of the car, they rushed to meet her, all talking at once.

Billy introduced the two women but found out they already knew each other.

"Come on in and I'll show it to you. Martin made me promise that we'll all be careful. Ok?" They all agreed and she unlocked the door. "Here is it. Billy, can you help me? It takes two people to do this."

"Wait Louiser! I want plenty of pictures. I want all the details about this wall. How in the world did you discover that it…" Reggie was clicking away but the rest of the party gave him dirty looks for delaying them so he stopped talking but continued to click away.

Once again the door creaked up and all four stood staring down into the darkness. Three shown flashlights and the only sound was a little heavy breathing as Louisa led the way down.


	67. Chapter 67

Chapter 67

"Oh my god! Louiser, this is incredible! We're going to have a good, long interview about this. Agree?" Exclaimed Reggie.

"I count eighty barrels all with plugs still intact. That looks like a book or ledger, don't it?" Said Billy as he moved to pick it up.

"NO! Don't touch it! I've got gloves and a bag to put it in. Yes, it's a ledger written in old Cornish and French. According to this, these barrels contain French brandy and it's dated over two hundred years ago! My word!" Christine Thow exclaimed. She carefully opened the ledger and placed it on one of the barrels while Billy continued to look around. "Maybe the ledger will give us names." She carefully turned the pages looking for more information. "JR. Those initials appear frequently."

Billy and she mused about the initials and suddenly he exclaimed, "`Rattenbury! Jack Rattenbury. That fits, don't it?"

"Well, it surely does! This needs to be researched carefully. Louisa, we'll need access to this cellar for quite a while. I'll call…," Christine was rattling on only to be interrupted by Louisa.

"No, Christine! All this is going to be moved as quickly as I can arrange it. We're doing a renovation and it _must_ be finished by Christmas. Billy, will the barn be suitable for storing all this?" Louisa asked.

"Aye, it'll do. Plenty cold enough. You know, maybe you should contact some wine dealers in Truro, even London. If whatever's in these barrels is still good, they might be interested in it." Billy suggested.

"That's a wonderful idea! Christine, you borrow the ledger to research but, keep in mind, I want it back when you're finished. I'll suggest to the wine dealers that you be allowed to examine the casks for your historical research if necessary." Louisa said firmly.

Reggie chimed in that he would spread the word about the find with his contacts at the bigger papers.

Billy told Louisa that she could find day workers for hire at the harbor just about any morning.

"No, that won't do at all! We must have people who know how to handle these barrels without harming them or the contents. _I'll_ get the men and we'll be here tomorrow morning. Is that _good_ enough for you _Billy_?" Christine asked somewhat snippily. She was not at all happy that she was the only one who thought this should be a historical site that _she_ was in charge of.

Billy interjected, "And where would you get them from? The platt? Pardon me Christine, but this is private property and the contents of it belong to Dr. Ellingham and Louiser. I been handling delicate stuff and treasures all me life and can sure handle some barrels without _supervision_! And you ain't the only one around here who knows about the history of this area!"

"Well, I never! You can just bug…!" Screeched Christine.

Louisa could see that tempers were flaring and quickly interjected, "Christine, Billy and I can handle this. Believe me, we'll be extremely careful about anything that might be of interest to you and certainly keep you informed. The cellar will remain closed and undisturbed for you to investigate later. Let's say goodbye for now. Reggie, call me tonight and we'll talk. I'm freezing! Everybody up the ladder please." They exited the cellar, lowered the door and she locked the back door behind them. She winked at Billy and signaled for him to stay. "I'll be in touch with all of you – hopefully in a warmer place!"

She waved them off and Reggie, still clicking away got in his car and drove away. Christine, nose firmly in the air, glared at Billy but said goodbye to Louisa very graciously and she too left. Billy turned and said, "I wager you want to talk about some day laborers for tomorrow. Right?"

"Yes. I know most of them and they're waiting to get on a fishing boat for the day. How many do you think I'll need?" She asked.

"You want this done pretty quick, right? Try to get five men but you can't pay them by the hour. It probably won't take long to move this lot, especially if I bring my trailer over. Offer $### for the _job_ and you shouldn't have any trouble. Just don't hire Jacko! Good man to have a pint with but worthless on the job! He'll probably turn up anyway. Nosy wanker!" He said with a laugh.

"Yes. Well, I see what you mean about surprises! Who would have anticipated this! I'll go down early and see what I can do. If I have luck, do I call you?" She asked, shivering from the cold.

"Yes, do that and I'll come on over. You get on home and warm up now. Don't want you getting' sick on me." He said sounding remarkably like Martin.

"I planned on going to the tenant house and start clearing it out but, you're right, I'm going home. See you tomorrow, early I hope. Buy now."

She was pulling into the surgery parking area and Martin called. "Louisa, it's entirely too late for you to do anything but come home. It's cold and will be dark soon."

"But Martin! I…" She started to say.

"No Louisa. I have dinner ready to go out and James Henry, I'm sure, would like to spend time with you." He interrupted.

"Martin I'm trying to tell you…" She said but once again he interrupted her.

"Louisa, please don't argue! I insist that you not let this harm your health. Tomorrow you can get an early start after a good night's rest." He insisted.

She sighed and gave in. "Very well Martin. You know best." And walked through the back door.

She looked at him with a smug smile and he just said a weak "Oh."

"Yes, oh! I had already made up my mind to come home _darling_!" She laughed at his expression. He looked completely flummoxed and didn't know whether to apologize, be indignant or just accept her teasing and serve dinner.

She turned her attention to a grinning baby and spent the next few minutes cuddling and talking to a smiling and gurgling baby. Martin interrupted their play by announcing that her dinner was on the table. "I'm almost too excited to eat! We counted eighty casks and they're all still sealed! Did you ever hear of the pirate Jack Rattenbury? I don't know much about him but he's a famous pirate in this part of the country and operated in the early 1800's smuggling goods from Europe – mostly France I think. We found a ledger and think it's his and, according to it, the casks are full of brandy. They could not only be of historical note, they could be valuable. Another call to make – wine dealers just to check. Could you handle it? And the waste removal company about the skips? I'm going to be so busy tomorrow! You will? Thank you lover. I'm going to the harbor to hire some day laborers to move the casks to the barn early tomorrow morning before the tide comes in so I'll need some money. How much do we have in the house? Good, that'll be enough. Billy says it's cold enough so moving them won't harm the contents. Well, what'd you think? Exciting, huh?"

He shook his head in wonderment and said, "And Auntie Joan and Uncle Phil never had a clue that they had a cellar, much less one full of potential treasure. Who did Mr. Billows bring from the historical society?"

"Reggie _Burrows_ brought Christine Thow, the head of the society. You nearly missed a fight!" She told him laughingly. From there, she filled him in on the rest of her day. Her phone rang and she jumped up to answer it. "Hello, Louiser here. Yes Reggie. I can talk."

Martin listened to the story she told Reggie and wondered at her curiosity and intelligence. No one, in all these years, had twigged that that strange little wall hid a cellar.


	68. Chapter 68

Chapter 68

She was so anxious to talk to Al before he read in the newspaper or heard from the local gossips about their find. As soon as Reggie finished the interview, she called him. He was a satisfactory audience, as always, and exclaimed in the right places and cheerfully congratulated her. "I'll be there with the men to move the casks by nine tomorrow I hope. Want to come see it? Of course Morwenna, too. Ok, be there any time after ten. Bye."

Conan knocked on the door at eight o'clock sharp, contracts in hand. Both Martin and Louisa both read the contracts thoroughly before signing them. He tapped his foot and twiddled his thumbs while waiting. They signed and the deal was done. Conan already had renters for the cottage for the following week. He would order all the extra linens, the sleeper sofa and the rest for her if they liked and the maids would prepare it for occupancy. They liked it and the invoice would be sent to them. Martin gave him a limit and he was not to exceed it without their express permission. Good to go!

The next morning, Louisa got up early to take care of James Henry while Martin went to the leisure center. She was sure to get all the exercise any person needed in the next week. As soon as he got home, she put on her coat, ready to leave. "I'll call and let you know where I am." She grinned teasingly at him and said, "I can't wait to see what you prepare for a picnic lunch!" She blew a kiss to them both and raced out the door.

She parked as close to the platt as she could and spotted the day workers huddled together against the wind. She wrapped her coat tightly around her and walked up to them. No need to be nervous! She knew all these men and what they were like. Just be friendly and professional. "Good morning! Cold enough for you?" She asked brightly and then cringed at how lame her opening gambit was.

"Ess and we be feckin' freezin'! Wot you doin' down here Louiser?" Asked Androw Jenken, the most outspoken one of the bunch.

"I'm looking for five men to help me out with a job this morning. Are any of you interested?" She searched their faces as she asked her question.

Androw spoke again, "Ess, might be. Wot is it? And 'ow many hours you talkin' about?"

"No more than two or three probably. I have some casks to move from a cellar. Eighty in all and Billy Higgins will bring his trailer so that should make it easier." She stood staring at them waiting for a response.

Another man, Mihal Clemence, asked, "Where be this job? Most of us ain't got transportation yew know."

"Joan Norton's farm. I can take some of you if necessary. I'm paying $## for the job. Well, how about it?" Any of you want the job or not?" She asked in a 'final offer' tone.

Androw and Mihal pulled three other men to the side and they whispered and nodded before turning to her. "Ess, us five'll go. Ted here has a car and will take two of us. Let's go and get out of this feckin' wind!" He and the others were studiously ignoring Jacko who was trying to interrupt and pulling on their sleeves. He glumly looked after them as they walked away.

Androw spoke as they drove off, "Shite! Thought that cakey* Jacko wuz gonna horn in."

She took the opportunity to ask them if they were willing to stay after the casks were moved and help move furniture out of the house. They shrugged and said, "We was lookin' for work when you found us so, yeah, we'll stay."

Martin's calls were successful. The waste disposal company could deliver the temporary skips in two days – one at each house. And the company that furnished temporary storage pods would deliver two of them to the farm house and one to the tenant house early that morning so the furniture could be moved out of the way. The wine dealers were definitely interested and would be at the farm the next morning before lunch.

Reggie's story was in the morning paper. The Truro and London papers picked up the story and it seemed that everyone in Cornwall was checking all the walls in their houses sure that they had a hidden cellar somewhere if they could just find it.

Louisa pulled into the farm house parking area and Billy was there waiting, trailer close to the back door. Billy greeted them all and they fell in behind her as she went in the door. "It's not much warmer in here but come in anyway. Here come the other two." She waved to them to follow everyone else inside. "Come this way, please. Billy, can you help me?" Once again the door was raised and there were six pair of amazed eyes looking into the darkness and quite a few whispered, "Holy shite! Would yew look at that!" And one comedian said in a dramatic voice, "I bet Dracula's hidin' down there! Whoo-ooh-oo."

Louisa plugged in the drop light and lowered it down. "Follow me down and please be careful. Don't touch anything except the casks. The historical society is protective about the cellar and the contents. Try to keep them in the same position as they are now and don't slosh the contents unnecessarily. Billy, would a relay be the best way?"

"Yes. You men've worked for me before so I know you know what you're doing. Androw, you be the anchor, give them to Mihal, he'll hand them to James standin' on the ladder and he'll hand them to Zachariah and James who'll take turns puttin' 'em on the trailer. Ok with you Louiser?" Billy asked her.

"Yes, that sounds good. I'll have tea ready if you need a break. It's very cold." And she moved back out of the way.

She heard a truck pull into the parking space and saw that it was delivering the storage pods. They were unloaded quickly, set up and ready for the furniture. She asked the driver, "Can you drop the other one at this address without me being there? There's a graveled space that will be perfect. You can? Wonderful. Here's the address and my cell number. Thank you so much."

And the casks were moved out – carefully and quickly. At the halfway point, Billy called a break and said Louiser had tea and biscuits ready. There was sipping, slurping and dipping from the men and a polite thank you from each one and they returned to work.

She watched Billy making sure that everything was done the way she wanted and felt almost overwhelmed with gratitude. "You're so good to us. I don't know how to thank you." She said sincerely.

"Well lover, I got my reasons besides the fact I've been knowin' you since you was a lit'le cheel**." He spoke almost bashfully so naturally she was curious.

She looked at him questioningly and he said in a quiet, sincere voice, "Joan and Phil was my best friends. Helped us out when our first baby died. Don't know how we could'a got through it without Joan. They didn't have much, god knows, but they helped me start me business. Always ready to share with anybody who needed help. Ess, I owe them. Er…you can keep this to yourself, right? Don't want to be a great dobeck*** you know."

"Of course I'll say nothing but no one could possibly think you're a dobeck. You can't escape the fact that you're a good man, Billy Higgins. Can I tell Martin? There's nobody in the world more trustworthy than him. And to hear about Phil and Joan…" She asked with tears in her eyes.

"Oh yeah. The Doc's ok. Nobody better. He don't remember but I knew him. Years ago. He was always so…beat down like when he first come but a week or two later, he was a different cheel. Happy like. He was Phil's little shadow. Interested in everything! We better go check on the men. Should be through by now." He hurriedly walked away, not willing to witness her emotion.

The men were carrying the last of the casks to the trailer and they started to lower the door but she stopped them. "Please leave it open. Al's coming and he wants to see it. Here's your money and I want to tell you how much I appreciate your stepping up to help. Ted, you can drive the two men back to town that you brought, ok? Androw and Mihal are staying to help with moving some furniture. Thanks again." She showed them out and turned to ask Billy, "Are you ready to put the trailer in the barn?"

"No, I'll check out the attic for you; see how you can insulate it and if it can be converted somehow to add more space." He suggested.

She was ready to start cleaning and moving furniture when Al and Morwenna knocked on the door.

"Good mornin' Louiser. We come to see this secret cellar you found." Al told her. She greeted them and they followed her to the lounge.

Morwenna exclaimed, "Crikey! That's some secret hole in the ground!"

"Yes, and I promised Christine Thow, the head of the historical society, that I'd take extra special care of it. So my adventurous little brother, let's be careful and not disturb anything." Louisa said with a teasing laugh.

They climbed down the ladder and Al said, "Think wot a 'man cave' this would make! Can't you imagine Doc down here with a big tv and foosball table?"

"Not in my lifetime I can't! But, it's a great wine cellar or a place to store anything you want to protect from damp. It's completely dry. I haven't checked yet but do you think it's carved out of bedrock?" Louisa said as she climbed down to join them.

Al knelt and examined the floor. "No, this floor was laid and a proper job, too. Look at the walls; the rocks are carved so careful they fit together perfect like. Now, did the pirates do it or just find it and use it? Guess we'll never know."

"Can you join Martin and me for lunch?" They said yes so she called Martin and asked if he could bring enough food for four, maybe five more people. Two of them were the day workers and would have big appetites. The always organized Martin said of course.

Billy joined them and told Louisa, "Well Louiser, you could convert the attic for more space but it won't be worth the cost. Does need insulation though. Easy enough to do."

"Ok, that's one thing off my list. Martin is bringing lunch so can you join us? He's a marvelous cook you know." She said.

"Well thanks luver but I want to get the trailer covered and moved. Al, can you and this luverly lady help? Won't take long." Billy wheedled.

Between the four of them, the contents of the trailer were securely covered and locked in the barn. Billy said his goodbyes drove away.

Morwenna asked rocking on her heels, "What'cha up to, Louiser? Can we help with anything?"

"I'm going to clean out things. I don't want anything to slow down the workers so all the furniture has to be moved to the temporary storage buildings. Androw and Mihal are going to do that so I'll get them started. Every drawer and closet, nook and cranny has things tucked away in them. I've got to do the same thing at the tenant house plus painting it but I can't start until the workers are finished with their jobs." She told them as they left the cellar.

Al and Morwenna looked at each other, nodded and he said, "We can help. Nothin' goin' on today anyway. Where do we start?"

She smiled happily at them and said, "This way, please. Here are boxes and plastic bags. Obvious rubbish goes in the bags; if there's any question, put it in a box for Martin to see. Separate rooms for you two or work on one together?"

Androw and Mihal were careful, reliable workers so when she explained what she wanted, they worked without supervision and followed them from room to room as the drawers and wardrobes were cleaned out and carried the furniture to the pod and carefully packed it away.

She, Al and Morwenna worked non-stop, laughing and talking, emptying drawers and wardrobes of clothing, and rubbish but also ran across some fanciful and interesting little treasures. Al found a jewel encrusted box with a pair of old pearl ear rings and matching necklace. Things that looked like they might be interesting went into a box, the rest into big trash bags. It was fascinating to see what Phil and Joan thought was worth keeping. The upstairs was finished by the time Martin showed up with their lunch.

He brought James Henry and a cooler into the kitchen and returned to the car for the carryall. Louisa told him about the attic and he grunted. But he was impressed with the amount of work they accomplished. After checking that they were alone, he softly touched Louisa's cheek, "Please don't overdo it Louisa."

She whispered, "Thank you my love. It's actually kind of fun but if I think it's too much for me, I'll tell you. Deal?"

"Martin, this is Androw Jenken and Mihal Clemence. They helped with the casks and are now moving furniture to the storage pods. Gentlemen, I think you know my husband, Dr. Ellingham.

They both acknowledge Martin and he just said "Yes. I'll lay out lunch and put the kettle on. All of you get washed up. We'll eat in a few minutes and I brought paper goods so we won't dirty anything."

He brought a choice of sandwiches – fish paste or cucumber and low fat cream cheese on his favorite crusty whole grain bread, fresh fruit, olives, crackers and a soft, creamy cheese. He knew that Morwenna had a fondness for Branston Pickles so he brought a jar of those. And, just in case, several pasties from It May Contain Nuts for people with bigger appetites.

Androw, Mihal and Al reached for the pasties, some olives, pickles and their tea. The two men went into the dining room to eat. They weren't exactly comfortable around the Doc. Morwenna exclaimed, "Doc, this is delicious!" Every scrap of food was consumed amid talk and laughter. Martin quietly joined in the conversation with pithy comments and observations that had the other three laughing out loud. Louisa was so grateful to see how comfortable her husband and brother were together. Plus he had a respect and affection for Morwenna that few people enjoyed.

James Henry ate cereal, bananas and sweet potatoes followed by a bottle. He was clearly enjoying the company and attention from his two favorite people – besides his parents of course.

Louisa groaned and said, "I'm so full! Martin, that was wonderful. We owe these two a nice dinner for all their help. I'd be upstairs working till nightfall if it weren't for them. Thank you both."

Martin nodded in agreement and asked, "Al how's your business doing? Have you set up an office yet?"

He smiled ruefully and answered, "It's picking up. Still a way to go, can't afford an office yet but it's going ok. I'd like to get some contracts. You know, reliable and steady income."

Morwenna, with an encouraging smile, said, "It'll come Al. You're the best computer person around here and you earned your degree with top marks. Just be patient!"

He nodded, "Well these rooms won't clean themselves. Let's get to it." And started clearing the table.

Martin started helping but Morwenna jumped up and said, "No Doc! You cooked it, we clean it up. Just sit and drink your tea."

The men brought their rubbish to the kitchen and gruffly thanked Martin for bringing their lunch. Again, his only reponse was, "Yes."

"Louisa, I'll take the baby home for his nap now but if you need me, don't hesitate to call." Martin again carefully checked to see if anyone was looking before he kissed her goodbye and went home.

"Ok, now we start down here. Same thing Androw, Mihal. Move all the furniture to the pod after we clean it out." Louisa instructed them.

Morwenna opened an old trunk and when she started unpacking it and realized what it contained, she called to Lousia, "Hey Louiser! Come look at this stuff." It was full of a boy's belongings; play shorts, shirts and trainers, swim shorts and flip flops and best of all, a lock of blonde hair carefully tied with a ribbon and sealed in an envelope. There was also a butterfly net, books on insects, a magnifying glass, a chewed up ball that was obviously a dog toy and some very difficult looking puzzles.

"I think these were Martin's. The hair's as soft as James Henry's and it's the same color." She flipped through one of the books and a picture fell out. "It's a picture of Phil and Martin. Looks like they're rock pooling at Port Gaverne and someone took a Polaroid of them. Look at Martin's face with a sunburned nose and freckles! He has a beautiful smile even with his front teeth missing!"

She passed it to Al and Morwenna and they both exclaimed that James Henry looked so much like him! She carefully repacked everything but the picture and asked, "Androw, can you take this to the pod? It's a treasure."

"Sure can. And I'll be extra careful wid it." He said with a smile.

By late afternoon, everything was empty and the items packed or in the trash bags. Androw and Mihal carried the last boxes of kitchen things to the pod and they were all ready to call it a day. They each walked around checking to make sure nothing had been missed. "I think the house is ready for the contractors. We can all go home now. Thank you – all of you have been such a big help." Louisa hugged Al and Morwenna as she spoke. "Androw, Mihal, here's your money and will you be available for more work tomorrow at the tenant house? Same thing – moving furniture." They cheerfully agreed. She would pick them up at the platt at eight am.

Al told her that he and Morwenna would be at the house to help. "I know you're a dynamo when you get started but we're glad to help. Morwenna's just waiting on school to start and my business sure don't keep me very busy."

Louisa just hugged them again and whispered a heartfelt thank you. She locked the door behind them and they all left.

*cakey – soft, feeble minded

**cheel – child

***dobeck – somebody stupid


	69. Chapter 69

Chapter 69

Louisa walked in the back door and was met with the smell of delicious food, a spotless house, laundry all finished, folded and put away and a smiling, contented baby. And Martin with his jacket off, sleeves rolled up and without a tie! She walked straight to him and was embraced and kissed thoroughly. "Hm-m-m, I missed you and James Henry. And it's only been five hours! Think how bad it'll be when you're working in Truro and I leave him with a baby sitter. Oh my love, you feel so good!" She said as she rubbed her nose against his solid chest. She turned to James Henry but was stopped by an excited Buddy. "Hello little man! Why didn't you come with Martin today? You would've enjoyed it. Now! I am seriously in the need for some James Henry lovin'. Come here sweetheart. Goodness! I think you've grown since lunch!" She hugged and cuddled and whispered the loving things mothers whisper to their children. "Are you hungry? I think Mommy gets to feed you tonight since Daddy's been having all the fun. Right?" She prepared his cereal and peaches and the leftover sweet potatoes while still carrying him on her hip. "This looks so good! Come on, eat it up." Her method of feeding him was quite different from Martin's. The food got to his mouth either way but Daddy was all business and Mommy talked, made faces and smiled at him. He acted as the center piece again while they ate their dinner.

"I thought we'd have something different tonight. I know you get tired of fish all the time so I prepared mussels. And salad and roasted root vegetables." He said, thinking how pleased she would be.

She choked back a startled laugh and quickly looked away from him till she could control her expression. Didn't the man know that mussels were seafood? Oh well, at least it wasn't monk fish again. "That sounds good but I ate so much lunch that I'm not very hungry. Tea sounds better than anything at the moment. We got all the furniture emptied and moved out, including the kitchen. It's ready for the renovation to start. After I meet with the contractors tomorrow and finish with them, if it's not too late, Al and Morwenna will meet me at the tenant house and we'll start on it. You'll be meeting with the wine dealers tomorrow, too. Busy times."

"Yes. Very busy but you're doing a splendid job. I'm very proud of you Louisa." He said as he poured her tea and watched her beautiful face blush with pride. "You're blushing! I should compliment you more often. I have some news for you. That Chrystal woman called to get a more definite time for our meeting tomorrow. I would like to examine the _journal_ , not ledger, before then so I told her I was coming to get it and did so. I can't make out most of it, especially the Cornish parts, but I think the casks were stolen right off a dock in Cognac. That means there's an excellent chance that the casks have cognac in them and if the wine dealers accept the ledger as provenance, then they are rare and _very_ valuable."

"I'm surprised that _Christine_ let you have the _journal_ without a fight. Do you have any idea what 'very valuable' means? I must admit that I'm ignorant about it. A good year for the wine that I buy is last week! Now, I have work to do on the contracts so, as soon as I clean up the kitchen, I'll get started." She said and started clearing the table.

"Yes, James Henry and I will go upstairs for his bath and some play time." He said as they started to leave the kitchen but were called back by her excited voice.

"Oh wait! I have some things to show you. Look at this picture of you and Phil. I have definite plans for it. Here's a lock of your hair and it's the same color as James Henry's. And Al found this box with pearl ear rings and matching necklace in it. Do you know anything about it? Whose it was or how Joan and Phil ended up with it?" She asked as she placed the items on the table.

He looked at the picture and said, "I remember that day. Uncle Phil took me there because Auntie Joan was helping some friend who had lost a child. We went to different beaches a lot. He was _so pleasant_ to be with and he _liked_ to be with me. The box belonged to his great aunt and the pearls are real. The box, or so Uncle Phil told me, is an 'Antique Oriental Gild Filigree Box With Hand Painted Jewels Inserts'. He never had it evaluated but I'd say that it's worth a fair bit. He has a sister who lives, or lived, in Bude. I should try to find her and give her the box. Where did you find the picture?"

She thought it typical of him that he was more interested in the picture than a valuable trinket. "Morwenna started to unpack a trunk and it had several items that belonged to you, including the picture. I think you would enjoy seeing the things again. And I think that friend who lost a child is Billy Higgins. He's told me some things in confidence about Phil and Joan but said I could tell you." She told him about her conversation with Billy and the way his Aunt and Uncle helped him. It's not surprising to hear things like that about them.

He shook his head and said, "No, not surprising at all. They were generous to everyone."

She glanced at her watch and said, "Now, I really need to work. Talk to you later and I would like to rock him to sleep tonight."

"Humph." He replied and left to go upstairs.

She worked non-stop for the rest of the evening until she felt her eyes were starting to cross. But, the contracts were finished and several copies of the blueprints were printed out. She was as ready for tomorrow as she could be. Now, she wanted to spend time with her two men. Without looking at her watch, she headed upstairs to a dark nursery and a peacefully sleeping baby. "Good lord! How late is it anyway?" The luminous dial on her watch showed eleven o'clock! Tiptoeing to the crib, she saw the baby was again sleeping on his stomach and his mouth was making little sucking sounds. His skin was so perfect and his blonde hair was so soft. He looked like a miniature version of his father and he was lovely. She tucked the blanket more closely around him and left, sorry to have missed story time. Martin was sure to be asleep so she slipped off her shoes and quietly crossed the bedroom to the loo. She wearily undressed and stepped into a hot, relaxing shower. To her delight, he joined her and massaged her tired shoulders and neck. That led to other very pleasant things that he could do to her and she was happy to return the favor - making him gasp and little shivers travel over his skin. They lay in a tangle of arms and legs, her head tucked under his neck. "By the way" he whispered, "James Henry sat up by himself today. I forgot to tell you."

She sat up quickly, wide awake. "How? When? Did you take pictures? Oh, I was afraid of this!"

Martin replied smugly, "Yes, I did. Several in fact. Here, they're on my phone."

She pulled them up and exclaimed, "Oh, look at him. Such a big boy! He smiles just like you and is so beautiful. Thank you Martin. We must send copies to Ruth. That's easy enough." She pushed a few keys and the pictures were on their way. "Done! And print them out for us." And she leaned over and kissed him.

"We will. There's also a video." She played it as he continued to talk about it. "He's clearly enjoying the experience. You know how he's been pulling himself up by using the bars? Watch how he does it and rolls over. I think he enjoys rolling over and that's why he kept pulling himself up. Finally he sits up, grinning like a monkey."

"He looks so proud of himself! I wish I had been here. That's what I've dreaded – not being with him when he learns new skills. My darling boy. We're so blessed, Martin." She said as she watched and re-watched the video.

He made a point of looking at the clock and said, "Either we go to sleep or I have an idea of something else we can do to pass the time." And he leered at her.

"You are so tempting when you leer at me like that but I must turn down your incredibly alluring offer. Go to sleep. We both have a big day tomorrow." Again she kissed him and said good night.


	70. Chapter 70

Chapter 70

She was at the farm house at seven thirty to lay out the blue prints and contracts and, if the truth be known, to steady her nerves. True to his word, Billy arrived a few minutes before eight. The contractors started filing in, introduced themselves to her and greeted Billy as a friend but also as an expert in the contracting business. Best be on their toes!

She greeted them and, to her surprise, one of them was a woman; about forty and not greeted with any degree of camaraderie by most of the others. She handed out copies of the blue prints and gave them a tour of the house. "I'll leave you to examine the part you'll be responsible for and you can present your bids to me as quickly as possible. This renovation _must_ be finished by Christmas. When you've finished here, I'll want plumbers, electricians and boiler people to come with me to another house that we plan on renovating so there are two jobs for you if the price is right. I'll be with the Wishing Well Company outside while the check they well if you need me."

Billy listened to all she said, nodded, and walked around watching the different ones taking notes, measuring and talking among themselves.

Full of nervous energy, she went outside to greet the men who were working on the well. The foreman named Fred Walker said, "We're checking the water for contaminates, then we'll measure the depth and the amount of water available for use. It shouldn't take long. Hopefully, we won't have to drill any deeper. I understand there's another well you want us to check?"

"Yes the well at the tenant house. We plan on renovating it as well. Let me give you the address in case you finish before the other men do. You can go there get on with your work. Is that satisfactory Mr. Walker?" She asked.

The Warm and Safe Boiler Company pulled up close to the house and they walked toward each other, hands out and ready to shake hands. "Good morning. I'm Louisa Ellingham."

There were three men but only one acknowledged her greeting. "Good morning Mrs. Ellingham. We're here to look at installing a new boiler here and in another house for you."

"Yes, if you could do what you can here, then I'll take you to the other house. We want it finished asap. When we start, the plumbers will go there first so you can work in tandem with them while the construction people work here on the addition. I'll be going there this afternoon. Can you follow me there? Good." She showed him where the boiler was to be located, the blue prints, introduced them to the plumbers and left them to it. The house was full of serious people with their calculators.

Martin arrived with James Henry and she walked with them to the barn. This was the first time he had seen the casks in daylight. She said, "I almost feel guilty about this. What if they _are_ worth a lot of money? More money would certainly have made life easier for Joan and Phil."

Martin nodded and turned to greet the wine dealers, a William Nons who had very foppish manners and Edwina Marple; straight laced and dressed like Geraldine McEwan's Miss Marple, hat and all. Introductions were made and Martin led them to the barn and unlocked the door. He handed the journal to Mr. Nons and stood with Louisa while they examined it. Ms Marple was an expert in old Cornish and French so had no trouble translating the journal. He could hear excited whispers as they read the pages. The last entry stated that eighty casks of Cognac were stolen off the dock in the city of Cognac and were to be delivered to 'spindle'. Obviously a code name.

"We can produce witnesses that will verify that these casks were in a hidden cellar in the house and the journal was found with them. One of the witnesses is the head of The Port Wenn Historical Society." Martin interrupted their whisperings.

"Mr. and Mrs. Ellingham, with your permission, we'll take the journal and have it certified as authentic. And we'd like to open one of the casks. Just to see if we can trust the words of a pirate." Mr Nons said with an irritating titter.

"Of course. I anticipated that and have glasses over there and here are some tools for you." Martin answered.

They picked a cask randomly on the bottom row and carefully moved it so that it rested on top. The stopper was stubborn but with careful work, it slipped out and the scents of flowers, caramel and vanilla filled the air. Mr. Nons expertly extracted a dark golden liquid from the cask and poured it so carefully and reverently into the glasses. They smelled the contents, swirled it, held it up to the light and then sipped it. They stood there, eyes closed and gently swirling it in their mouths before swallowing it. The look on their faces was pure ecstasy! They turned to look at Martin and Louisa with a surety of opinion that this was the real thing. It was as if they had given a 'thumbs up' signal.

Ms Marple asked if they could examine the cellar in which the casks were found and permission was given.

Looking around as they walked through the house, Ms Marple noticed the remains of the wall that Louisa had knocked down. "Is that the wall that disguised the opening to the cellar? My word! How did you discover it?"

Louisa explained how puzzled she had been by the small room created by the wall and her thought processes that lead up to finding the seam in the floor boards.

"Well, I must say that you were very clever! Two hundred years and no one discovered it!" She said in awe.

Once again the cellar door was raised and once again, there were stunned reactions, Mr. Nons forgot his high-tone manners and blurted out, "Blimey! Would you look at that!" Ms Marple gasped and was the first one down the ladder.

"Wait, please wait Ms Marple until I lower the light!" Ordered Louisa. And she lowered the drop light and continued, "The historical society wants the cellar preserved in its original state so please be careful about what you touch."

They stood at the foot of the steps and Louisa explained how the casks were arranged as evidenced by the imprints in the dust. "The journal was found just over there, on the last cask in the last row. As we've told you, we have witnesses that will verify what I've told you."

They nodded and went up the stairs. They couldn't hide their excitement but kept silent until they were out of earshot of the people working in the house.

"If it's satisfactory with you, Mr. and Mrs. Ellingham, we'd like to take this cask, along with the journal, back to our winery. Call in more experts." Martin nodded and they added, "We'll be in touch in a few days."

Martin and Louisa were walking them to their car and Mr. Nons and said hesitantly, "Er…these casks are very valuable. Are you sure this…uh…building is secure enough? We could arrange to have them moved to a temperature controlled wine cellar with first rate security. Of course, with legal documents stating unequivocally that you are the owners. Do you have a lawyer with whom we can arrange the transfer?"

Louisa was called back to the house so Martin was left to handle their questions. Names and business cards were exchanged and they left, carefully carrying the cask.

The boiler people had already discovered that the pipes going to the radiators were rusted out and would need to be replaced. Surprise! All of the contractors were finished and ready to either, tell her what their cost would be and sign a contract, or tell her Thursday. Three of them she dismissed out of hand. Ridiculous amounts! The rest of the estimates were accepted and contracts signed. The woman, Elspeth Julian, turned out to be the electrician. The contractors responsible for the addition said they needed more time and would be in touch Wednesday with their bid. Billy stood by her side through-out but saw no need to intercede. She was doing very well! All but the electricians, plumbers and boiler people shook hands with her and left.

"Would you please follow me to the other house and look at what needs doing?" She asked them. They said yes and they caravanned to the tenant house.

"Louiser, I'm proud of you. Yer handlin' all this like a pro. Proper job! And all of'em want this job because of you and the Doc. It'll be the talk of Cornwall!" Billy exclaimed proudly. "I couldn't ha' done better meself!"

Louisa smiled to herself – when Billy got excited, his Cornish accent became more pronounced.

"Thank you sir! But you and I both know I couldn't 've done it without you. Martin and I are eternally grateful for all you've done. And I know that Joan and Phil would be, too. Billy, _you're_ a 'proper job'!" She told him as they made the journey to the tenant house.


	71. Chapter 71

Chapter 71

The two contractors went over the house and made calculations and muttered to themselves. The men who were putting in the new boiler looked over the space and waited to speak to the plumber. And the pipes were in good shape unlike the farm house.

Both contractors gave her acceptable bids for their part of the work and she gave them a schedule and a contract. The best part was they could start the day after tomorrow – Thursday. Shouldn't take more than a few days to complete their jobs and the plumbers would coordinate their work with the boiler representative. Things were rolling along.

By the time everyone said their goodbyes, it was mid-afternoon. Still time to start cleaning out the house. She called Al and Morwenna and they were there in less than thirty minutes. She also called Androw Jenken and was promised that he and Mihal would help move the furniture out if she could pick them up in the morning. Al, hearing the conversation, interrupted her and said that he and Morwenna could do it for her. One more thing fell into place.

It only took the three of them a couple of hours to clean everything out since the house had been empty for so long. She was locking the door when Al asked, "When'll you be ready to paint, Louisa? Don't forget that me and Morwenna are going to help. Right?"

"Yes, I remember! You're so kind to volunteer to do this for us. The contractors said it'll only take a few days for them to finish their work so I'll start very soon. It won't take us long to paint. I also plan on cleaning and treating the floors and the furniture. Conan will buy the linens and extra furniture at the company he deals with. They carry everything needed for rental places." Louisa told them.

"Proper job!" Said Al and they said their good nights and left together.

She got home and rushed to greet her two men. A most satisfying kiss from Martin and grins and giggles from James Henry were the best things that had happened to her all day. She grinned at him and said, "You're absolutely the best kisser I've ever met!" And he didn't blush, just kissed her again. She rocked James Henry back and forth and said, "I bet your enjoying your time with Daddy! Huh? You're going to miss each other when he starts work. Hm-m-m, you smell like you need a clean nappy! Were you saving that for Mommy? We'll be back as soon as he smells respectable again." She said to Martin and went upstairs. She put him in his crib sitting up. "Can you sit up for Mommy? Oops! You look like you enjoyed that!" He fell over giggling and holding his feet as he rolled back and forth. He pulled himself up again and rolled over again, still laughing. Clearly he loved this new game. "Hey, young man! Let's get serious about this. One more time." She placed her hand behind his back and kept him from falling back. He looked up at her in surprise and pushed back again. She stopped him again and handed him a rattle and put a teddy bear in front of him. Distracted, he shook the rattle and looked at her for appreciation of his trick. "That's my good boy. Want your bear? Can you get your bear? That's it. O-o-h, he's soft isn't he?" By distracting him, she got him to sit alone until he discovered that sitting up allowed him to do so much more than just rolling over on his back. He grinned up at her and smushed his teddy bear into his face, giggling and kicking his feet. "Now, let's change that smelly diaper and go back down to Daddy. I need another kiss!"

They went back downstairs to join Martin in the lounge. "Dinner is on the hob and I _didn't_ save that for you. He must have just relieved himself."

"He's certainly good at it! Watch this. Show Daddy what you can do. Come on, show Daddy." She put him in the playpen and handed him the teddy bear. He bounced the bear up and down, giggling and kicking his legs.

Martin shrugged his shoulders as if to say "But I told you he could do that." and went back to reading. Hands on her hips, she huffed at him and mumbled, "Well, I'm certainly impressed!" And she plopped down on the sofa, patted her legs, crossed and uncrossed them, got back up and paced the floor, glancing at him with a cross between anger and indignation. She felt so antsy!

He looked up and said, "Why don't you sit down and rest? Supper won't be ready for about an hour." And went back to reading.

She had enough! "Thanks for asking Mar-tin. I had a good day. A huge sink hole opened up and swallowed the tenant house. Oh, and all the contractors turned down the jobs so we'll have to do everything by ourselves. Billy's decided to have a sex change. He wants to be a turtle and the cliff is crumbling and the edge is now just five meters from the house."

He looked up at her, surprised at her behavior. "The cliff is what? Sex change? You're acting very strangely tonight. Is something wrong?"

"Yes! Could you put that magazine down and talk to me for just a minute? I mean, aren't your interested at least a little?" She was really frustrated and puzzled.

"It's not a magazine; it's a publication. Of course I'm interested but I thought you'd tell me if anything important happened. Has it?" He asked calmly.

"No, nothing _major_. Just little things like, oh let's see, the electrician and plumber gave bids on the tenant house and I accepted them. The boiler rep went over everything and the pipes are in good shape. They can install the new boiler Monday and the plumber's working with them to do his part. The electrician said she should finish her part at the tenant house in three days at the most. Josep Ryall will pick up the stoves and refrigerator Monday and'll have them finished in about four weeks. Am I going too fast for you love? I can speak more slowly if you need me to. The…construction… companies …will… present..."

He interrupted her to say sternly, "You don't have to patronize me to get your point across."

"I shouldn't have to! What's happening is a big deal for us and you could at least _pretend_ to be interested." She said indignantly.

"I do have a few other things on my mind you know! And I never pretend. Shall I bore you with details of the surgeries I perform? The people I talk to? I know you're excited. I know you're working hard and I know you have a tremendous task to finish by Christmas but I'm just not interested in wiring or toilets or rusted pipes! And, I must point out that normally you wouldn't be either!"

"Humph!" And she flounced out of the room. James Henry sensed tension and didn't understand it. He looked at his parents who were both scowling. Where was Mommy's smile? Daddy looked angry. He whimpered but they didn't hear him. What was wrong? Ernest wails and tears were the result of his unease. Both parents turned, reached for him and bumped heads. "Ouch!" Louisa exclaimed.

"Louisa! Are you injured? Let me see." He took her face between his hands to examine the non-existent bump. He sighed with relief. "Nothing serious."

She bent to pick up James Henry and looked up at him. "I'm sorry Martin. Please love, can we forget the past ten minutes?"

"I'm sorry, too." He held them close in him arms. "You've taken on such a heavy burden and the least I can do is listen and encourage you."

"No, no you are what you are. I _wanted_ to do this and I shouldn't force you to be involved. And you're wrong; normally I _would_ care about all that and more if they're in the house I'm going to live in. It's ok little man. Mommy and Daddy aren't angry. Can I have a kiss?" She nuzzled his little neck and kissed his cheek. Martin kissed her and held them closer. He silently vowed to ask questions and listen to her even if he had to learn to pretend.

The rest of the evening passed quietly the way Martin liked it. Just the three of them together. She bathed and rocked James Henry to sleep while Martin recited 'The Fiddler of Dooney" by Yeats. Making up was a wonderful way to spend the evening and led to a good night's sleep. Martin whispered, "Maybe we should argue more often. I feel totally limp but oh so good!"

She giggled softly, kissed him again and snuggled more closely against him.


	72. Chapter 72

Chapter 72

Al, as promised, met her at the tenant house with Androw and Mihal. They carried all the furniture out to the storage unit, Louisa thanked and paid them and Al took them back to the village. Louisa hugged and rocked him like she did when he was a little boy. Now, he could hug her back. They said their goodbyes and he took the two men back to the village.

Then things got bad; she expected the contractors to start on the tenant house Thursday but the plumber had stomach flu. Then the electrician got it, then the boiler men and then Billy. Surprise! Louisa reasoned that worry and frustration protected her from succumbing to it. Fortunately, it was a twenty-four hour virus and they were all back to normal by Saturday. But if they worked on the weekends, they wanted extra money. Better not agree to it now because she might need that option later.

The good news was the building contractors turned in their bids Wednesday and they were accepted – contracts were signed, supplies bought and delivered and they were off! And none of them got the flu thank god. One of them graded the lawn in preparation for the addition and hit an enormous boulder. It had to be blown up with clever use of dynamite and carted off. Surprise! Once the grading was finished they were ready to start work on the addition. Part of the crew started upstairs on the master bedroom and were busily knocking out the wall of the small, next door bedroom and framing in the walk in closet and lavatory. The new jetted tub, double vanity, shower and toilet were brought in through a hole where a window used to be and ready to be installed. And the beautiful bay window was put in. As she expected, the view was phenomenal! The electrician would run the wires for the new plugs and the contractors put up crown molding to hide them. Another part of the crew finished taking out the wall that hid the cellar door. Just the addition of that small space made the lounge so much more usable and spacious! It was amazing to see how much they accomplished in just two days. She was sincere in her appreciation and thanks.

The chimney sweeper did his job on both fireplaces and she sent him to the tenant house to finish there.

Mrs. Newth called to talk about the furniture she found at the sale and could Mrs. Ellingham make a quick trip over to approve what she chose. Yes, she could and drove there immediately. Mrs. Newth had an excellent eye for furniture. There were three wardrobes; two antique ones made of beautiful wood and a white one with a funky stork painted on it and beautifully distressed. All were in good shape. Just needed cleaning and polishing. She also chose a good sized chest of drawers, lovely Jenny Lind twin beds, occasional tables, lamps, a kitchen table and 4 chairs, a comfortable couch with two matching armchairs, a complete set of outdoor wicker furniture and, most surprising of all, a new large hot tub still in the original packaging. Not only was she a talker, she was a born haggler. She got all the furniture for the cost of one of the wardrobes in a retail shop.

Louisa looked at all of it in amazement. "You've done an excellent job! It's all perfect and beautiful. And what you got it for! Who do I make the check out to? And I must rent a truck to move it all. Goodness, even a hot tub! I just can't thank you enough!" Louisa said sincerely.

"Now, now, no thanks needed. I do so enjoy doing this kind of thing. I just keep talkin' till they agree to what I offered! Conan told me to order all the linens, sleeper couch and everything else we talked about. Got good deals on it. too. I have the invoice here. There you go. Make the check for the furniture out to Justine Becker and, for the supplies, make it out to 'Good Things at Good Prices'. Love to stay and chat but so much to do! Oh, and here's my cousin's number. He's got a big truck and will do you right on the price. Just tell him Berly said to call him and to make it fast! Bye now." Mrs. Newth said as she almost trotted away. Louisa couldn't help but be grateful!

She called the cousin, a Marvin Hancock, and he promised to be there within half an hour. But where to put everything? Martin might have an idea. His suggestion was to rent a storage space. There was one at the other end of the village. He called them and arranged for a unit and it was ready for the furniture. That problem was solved.

Marvin came with a friend to help load everything and it was done quickly and carefully. He knew where the storage place was and agreed to take the load there for her. She paid the rental fee, waited until the men were finished, paid them and went back to the house.

Friday and not a thing done at the tenant house. Lord, she tried to not be frustrated but it was hard!

Then the inspector showed up; a small, self important man who everyone, including his wife, considered to be a fool and looked like he watched too many shows on the telly where the hero always had a three day beard. His name was Gawen Wall and his chest swelled when he thought of how this man would stutter and cower when he got through with him. Mr. Wall was certainly a poor deluded fool.

He swaggered in the back door and said imperiously to one of the carpenters, "Take me to the man in charge of this job." He looked around contemptuously at the work being done.

The carpenter pointed out Louisa and turned away with a snort. All of them had dealings with this gawky* arse'ole before and avoided him whenever possible.

He looked at the carpenter suspiciously. Was he jokin' with him? A woman? He almost licked his lips and thought he'd show her! "Com'ere lit'l lady. You got some explainin' to do!"

Louisa didn't hear him and continued to discuss the rusted pipes with the boiler representative.

"I'm talking to yew! Are ye daft?" He said more loudly.

She heard him talking but thought someone was joking and looked around to see who it was. Her eyes fell on him, his legs apart in an aggressive stance, thumbs hooked in his front trouser pockets and a stern look on his face. "Can I help you? Are you looking for someone?" She asked politely.

"I'm lookin' for the person who thinks she can eg-nore the rules. Not so, lit'l lady! You got to answer to me!" He couldn't have been more pompous.

Louisa looked him up and down with a direct, questioning gaze, her eyebrows raised and asked, "I do?"

"Didn't I just say so! Don't yew know who I'm be"? He asked angrily.

"No, I don't. That would be why I asked." Louisa replied cautiously. Was this man deranged? Dangerous maybe?

"I'm Inspector Gawen Wall. That's who I am, lit'le lady." He said loudly.

Relieved to see he was sane – just stupid, she calmly and firmly told him, "Perhaps I should make something clear. Listen carefully because I will not repeat myself. First of all, you will not address me as 'little lady' or any variation of that vulgar term. And second, when you speak to me, you will address me as Mrs. Ellingham and you will do so respectfully or not at all. Now, what are you doing here?"

He seemed to shrink as she spoke. "Well, ye ain't got your permits. This job stops right now til _I_ sign off on it." He said, trying to reclaim his authority.

She casually opened her folder of papers and held up the permit. "Do you recognize this signature?" He squinted his eyes and, when he saw who signed, he gulped and nodded. "I thought you would since he's your superior; Edmond Tailor, Director of Permits and Inspections for Cornwall." And she pulled out other permits; for plumbing, electrical and every other phase of the renovation for both houses. "I do apologize but I didn't catch your name."

"Er, me name is Gawen Wall. I be…I mean to say I'm an inspector. Er, sorry. I already said that. I be… _I'm_ real sorry to bother you and, if I can do anything for ye, just you tell me. Looks like you doin' a proper job here." He totally changed his tone and, if possible, became even more objectionable. Now he was just obsequious and rather pathetic.

"No-o-o. I don't think there's anything I want you do for me, , except drop by Edmond's office and tell him Louiser said hello. Can you remember that because I definitely will."

He said weakly, "Oh, there ain't no need for ye to do that! He be…am… _is_ a busy man. Well, guess I better be off since you got all in hand here. G'day, Mrs. Ellingham." And he almost ran away. She glared after him. Wanker!

Unbeknownst to her, the workers had been listening to the conversation and when his car pulled away, they applauded. "You go Louiser!" "Yeah, you sure told him!" "Tosser!" Billy grinned and gave her a double thumbs up. She smiled and gave them all a mock bow. "I think we all need a tea break after that little episode. I'll call when it's ready."

Up till this 'little episode', everyone had been cautiously watching her. Was she a poser** or the real thing? Could they trust her? She went up several points in their estimation by dealing with that arse'ole in an authoritative but polite way and they were much more relaxed around her in the following days.

Billy followed her to the kitchen and said, "This'll be the last time ye can make tea for'em. They're comin' to take away the stove Monday and the electricity'll be off. If you have time to take'em to the tenant house, they'll take the stove and fridge from there, too. They said it'll take about a month to do a proper job on'em."

"Yes, of course I can. What's the company's name again?" She asked as she filled an extra kettle she had brought from home.

"As far as I know it's just 'is name. Josep Ryall. He'll do you right fer sure." He answered. "You handled that wanker fine Louiser. Guess you're used to handlin' arseholes."

"I've had practice. Let's leave it at that! His behavior was totally unacceptable! Should I report him, do you think? He shouldn't be allowed to talk to people like that." She asked.

"I don't want nobody to lose they jobs but he sure needs callin' down. Yeah, I'd say talk to Edmond but don't ask for the poor sod's head." He replied as he handed her the tea bags and put out the sugar and creamer.

She uncovered a tray of biscuits she had brought, set out the paper cups, napkins and stirrers. "Tea's ready. Come on and take a break."

Everyone got their tea and a biscuit or two and sat where ever they could to finish it.

At the end of the day, it was still cold and miserable outside and not much warmer in the house but everyone was in a good mood and eager to get on with it. Louisa said good bye, locked the door and left for home. Martin outdid himself fixing dinner. He broke his 'optimum nutrition, low fat' rule and fixed a pie filled with rich gravy, meat and tender root vegetables, Heinz beans and broiled tomatoes. So good and filling after a long, cold day. Unfortunately, the beans had their usual effect on her. He regarded flatulence – or farts as most other people called them - as a natural bodily function and encouraged her to do the same. No way! She found excuses to leave the room often and quickly. She forgot that the house had thin rooms so he heard everything. He actually laughed out loud at her and the excuses she came up with to go upstairs.


	73. Chapter 73

Chapter 73

The electrician called and gave her some good news. "I'm so sorry that I've been ill Mrs. Ellingham. I want to make it up by working this weekend at the other house. No extra money, it's part of my bid. Is that ok with you?" She asked. Her name was Elspeth Julian.

"Of course, Ms Julian. I'd appreciate that very much. I'll leave a key under the big rock at the end of the path. This is wonderful news indeed!" Louisa replied. She turned to Billy and said, "Finally! Work is starting on the other house."

Louisa turned her attention to James' five month birthday cake. When she mentioned it to Martin, he scowled and warned that cake would _not_ be good for a five month old baby. "Really Louisa! What are you thinking!" He said. As if she didn't already know that! oHonHHonestly! That man would give medical advice to a fencepost! So she didn't bother to tell him that the 'cake' was for the grownups and James Henry would get a new fruit for his birthday - apricots. She could get a fresh fruit pizza from It May Contain Nuts and it was sure to be delicious. They could celebrate a day early on Friday and she would invite Al and Morwenna for coffee. James would enjoy that.

Ruth asked if her oldest nephew would pick her up at the train station at lunch time on Friday, please? He shopped for the dinner with Chris, Carol and Ruth Friday morning at Tesco. They had fresh lamb shanks and the rest of the ingredients he needed except for the pomegranate molasses. He finally found some in the Middle Eastern store. The store and its selections were fascinating and with what he saw there, he planned a few choice meals guaranteed to surprise Louisa. James Henry was enjoying himself very much. So many new things to look at and his Daddy explaining things to him. He squealed with delight when he saw Aunt Ruth at the train station. She held him like she'd never let him go, eyes closed and lips against his cheek. Martin couldn't believe his eyes. Ruth showing emotion?

He got lots of attention from everybody at his party even though he didn't realize that it _was_ a party. And the toys he got were very exciting. Al and Morwenna's gift actually talked to him when he moved it! The look on his face the first time he heard it was priceless! Mommy took lots of pictures but that one was the most special.

Martin fixed baked chicken, corn on the cob and made a green salad for dinner. He was surprised and pleased by the 'birthday cake' but James Henry made a disgusted face (that made the unsympathetic adults laugh) and spat out his new fruit. Aunt Ruth couldn't get enough of holding and looking at him. She even helped with his bath and rocked him to sleep. Martin told her he liked to be read to and that he very often recited poetry to him in French. Excellent! She knew a good one; 'Chanson pour les enfants l'hiver' by Jacques Prevert*. Martin nodded his head approvingly and left her to it.

He was ready for Saturday night except for the buying fresh bread and cooking the meal. Thank goodness Ruth would be available to help take care of James Henry. Louisa was sure to be working. Unfortunately, Billy had warned her to expect surprises and they probably weren't over yet.

Even though Louisa had arranged to leave a key for Elspeth, she was too excited and too inexperienced to take advantage of the times that were available for her to rest so she eagerly went to the tenant house to meet her. "Good morning Ms Julian. I thought you'd enjoy a thermos of tea. It's so cold in here! Can I do anything else for you?"

"Good morning, Mrs. Ellingham. No thanks, I'm fine, and please call me Elspeth and it's _Mrs_. Julian.

"Oh, is your husband an electrician also?" Louisa inquired pleasantly.

"No, my husband was killed in Afganistan." Elspeth said matter-of-factly.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! Do…did you have children?" Louisa asked, her tone sympathetic.

"Yes, two girls. Good, smart ones. Ten and twelve years old. We just moved here two weeks ago from Truro so they're new to village life, the school and a much smaller house. Got some adjustin' to do." Elspeth said as she took out her tools. "The head of the construction company, HP Brown, knew me from a job we worked on together in Crantock. Said he'd help me get started here. Thanks for the tea and now I'll get a move on. Are you stayin'?"

"No, I don't think so. Are you ok to stay here by yourself? You can lock the door and leave the key under that big rock at the end of the path." Louisa answered suddenly feeling in the way. She didn't really have a reason to be there anyway.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. You go on and enjoy your weekend. Bye now." And she got out the blueprint and went to work.

Louisa decided to stop at the farmhouse on her way home for absolutely no justifiable reason. She really needed to calm down! Martin's car was in the parking space and she hurried in to say hello and get out of the cold. Ruth was anxious to see the hidden cellar and the casks so they drove over. James Henry was happy to see his Mommy and eagerly came to her.

"Here's the door and you can see where the wall was. Help me lift it up Ruth. Louisa, where did you put the drop light?" He retrieved it and lowered it down.

"Well, this is certainly a surprise. How far does it extend?" Ruth spoke like she had seen dozens of hidden cellars in her life – completely calm.

Louisa handed the baby back to Martin and went down the stairs to shine the light around the space. "Can you see how perfectly the stones have been laid? Someone went to a lot of trouble here. Do you want to see the casks and what they've done upstairs?"

"I certainly want to see the casks! It's much larger than I imagined. You know, even if the contents aren't really from Cognac, they're still incredibly valuable. I venture to say that Christie's will be called in to conduct an auction. You're going to be wealthy, you two." Ruth informed them.

Martin and Louisa looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. "We haven't really considered it. We've had quite a few other things to think about. More important things to concern us." He said.

Louisa agreed. "Really there's no need to think about it until we know for sure. It's been so exciting but with the renovations, Martin's new job, renting my cottage and so on, there's just no time."

"H-m-m. Very interesting." And she looked at them assessingly. "May we go see the casks now? I mean, I can dream can't I?" Ruth asked with one last look at the cellar.

"Of course. Let me shut the door first." Martin lowered the door and led the way to the barn. The wind was blowing harder and it was bitterly cold. "Louisa, take James Henry to my car and start the engine. The heater will soon warm it up." And he and Ruth continued to the barn while she walked to the car.

In a very few minutes, she could see them walking quickly to the car. Martin opened the door for Ruth and she could hardly speak for shivering. "M…my g…od! I've never b…b…been so _cold_! Thank good…n…ness you're putting i…i..in a new heating system! Have you th…thought of heated floors?" She was half serious with her question.

"I'm taking Ruth and the baby home. He doesn't need to be out in this weather. Do you mind stopping by Chough's to pick up the bread? I ordered it yesterday so they'll have it ready." Martin requested.

"Not at all. Anything else we need?" Louisa asked. She left the car when he said no and they pulled away. She stopped at the bakery and couldn't resist a cup of their cream tea and a fresh Saffron Cake. She stayed to gossip a while and caught up on the village news. They were, in turn, interested in the renovations. After about an hour, she was ready to leave with a half dozen more Saffron Cakes and a cup of their excellent cream tea for Ruth. The cakes were so good!

She went in the back door letting in a blast of cold air. "Sorry I'm late but I've been gossiping. Ruth, I got some of the freshest Saffron Cakes I've ever tasted and you a cup of tea! Drink it while it's hot."

"Thank you. I'm a fan of their teas to say nothing of their cakes." Ruth took the lid off the tea and picked up a cake as she spoke. She calmly sat at the table and ignored Martin's disapproving look. As a matter of fact, she ate two cakes! "Any interesting gossip?"

"Yes, that development company that's building all the new tourist cabins has brought so much business to the village! Between that and the show on the telly about that grumpy doctor, we don't have much a slow time anymore. The bad news would have concerned Martin a couple of weeks ago. Chippy Miller hurt his leg and having to travel back and forth twice a week for treatment is making it worse. His wife doesn't drive so they have to take two buses both ways. Matthew at It May Contain Nuts has a severe cut on his hand and can't leave the shop to get treatment because the girl who helps him quit. They said it looks infected. And Mrs. Pickens' blood pressure is sky high but she won't go to the doctor in Wadebridge. Says she doesn't trust him. You have no idea how much you're missed Martin."

He didn't react to the news but his expression was thoughtful. He made an excuse to go to his office and made a couple of calls. He was a doctor and couldn't let people suffer if he could help them. He made an appointment with Chippy Miller for a house call tomorrow and told Matthew and Mrs. Pickens that he would be with them shortly. His conversations were short and to the point, cutting off the words of thanks they all offered and hanging up quickly. He would see Matthew first about his hand so grabbed his bag and slipped out. He debated on whether or not to take the car but decided against it. He could take short cuts and be at his destinations quicker by walking and wouldn't have to worry about parking. He bent against the wind and swore. It was damned cold! He arrived at the shop and went it. He stood for a moment luxuriating in the warm air.

"Hello doc. Good ta see you. Nice of you to do this…" Matthew said sincerely.

"Let me look at your hand. Chop, chop. I'm in a hurry." Martin cut him off brusquely and removed his overcoat.

"We sure been missin' you around here." Matthew said as he led the way to the back room. "I cut it earlier this week but haven't had time to go to Wadebridge."

"Do I really need to tell you how foolish you are? Surely your health is more important than selling a few cakes. Put your hand on the table please." Martin ordered.

"Your bedside manner sure ain't changed! Do I really need to tell _you_ that if my doors are shut, I don't make money. If I don't make money, my shop closes and I'm out of a job." Matthew asked testily.

"Humph! A one handed baker wouldn't be able to do very much, would he? And just how much business are you doing on a day like today?" Martin cleaned and dressed his hand and wrote out a prescription for antibiotics and pain meds. "This infection is well advanced and must be painful. I'm sure you won't listen but I advise you strongly to not use your hand any more than absolutely necessary." He got a sling out of his well stocked bag and held it up. "And to wear this sling. I'll call and ask Mrs. Tishell to fill these for you today. Can you close long enough to pick them up?"

Matthew nodded and, as he showed Martin out, said "Thanks Doc. I'll do my best. How about if I close early today? And tomorrow's Sunday so I'll be closed anyway so's I can wear the sling all the time."

Martin was surprised by a patient actually listening to him. Instead of his usual, terse "Yes.", he added, "that will be satisfactory. Come to the surgery tomorrow evening and I'll change the dressing."

"Yeah, sure. 'Bout six?" Matthew suggested.

"Yes, that's fine. I'll be waiting for you." And he walked to Mrs. Pickens shivering and wrapping his coat tightly around his body.

Mrs. Pickens answered his knock and was so pleased to see him that she dropped her box of HobNobs. Scowling, he picked it up and muttered, "Useless calories and fat!" and handed it back to her. "Doc Martin! So good to see ya! Come in, come in. It be freezin' out there. Let me get you a cuppa." And she ushered him in. "Give me yur coat. You know Jenna Deane don't you?"

"Yes. No tea. Tell me about your blood pressure. I understand you won't go to the doctor in Wadebridge? That's very foolish of you." Martin said sternly.

"Foolish or not I don't trust him. Old Mr. Bunty went to see him and died the very next day! Jenna won't see him neither and she thinks she's got a kitney infection." Mrs. Pickens said and Mrs. Deans nodded emphatically.

"Gawd! You're both idiots! People called him _Old_ Mr. Bunty because he was _old_! Ninety five years _old_! No wonder he died. Don't you know that high blood pressure and a kidney infection can kill you at a much younger age than ninety five?" He turned to Mrs. Pickens and asked, "Are you prepared to suffer a stroke and be dependent on others for your care?" Both ladies sat with arms crossed across their chests and looked stubborn and determined to not listen to him. "Are you actually planning on waiting till the new gp sets up his surgery to get medical attention?" Martin asked incredulously.

"Well, we don't have much choice, do we? If yew ever laid eyes on 'im, yew wouldn't go to 'im neither!" Mrs. Deane said. "Sneaky eyed tosser!"

Martin sighed heavily and ordered Mrs. Pickens to sit at the table. She started telling him about her daughter 'up in Truro' and he ordered, "Stop talking!" He took her blood pressure and it was alarmingly high and her pulse was dangerously rapid. He wrote out some prescriptions, turned to Mrs. Deane and handed her a cup with a nod to the loo.

After testing her urine, he said, "You definitely have a kidney infection. A severe one." And he wrote another prescription. He called Mrs. Tishell and in a few words told her that he needed three prescriptions filled stat. She was so much in awe of and in lust with him that she gushed her agreement. "And will you be picking them up yourself? I have a nice cake and we could have a cup of tea with it. I'm sure you can do with some _good_ food prepared by someone who _knows_ what they're _doing_."

He gritted his teeth and snapped, "Just the prescriptions! I'll pick them up in ten minutes." And hung up his phone. "I'm going to get your prescriptions now and will be back in twenty minutes. You _must_ take them as directed. Do you understand?"

"You must think we're perty stupid! Well, we ain't. Just careful who looks at us. You spoiled all of us. Hard to replace you." Mrs. Pickens stated forcefully.

He growled and slammed the door behind him. Mrs. Tishell was waiting for him and opened her attempt at conversation with a question. "What is your opinion of using maggots to treat wounds Doctor Ellingham?"

He looked at her in disbelief, "Prescriptions please!" She handed them to him and he slammed another door behind him, hearing her call after him, "Please come when you can stay longer and…"

"Ridiculous woman!" He mumbled."

Once more he walked to Mrs. Pickens' house. It was so cold and his feet felt like ice! He entered without knocking and said, "Here are your prescriptions. Take them as directed." And left for the surgery. It had never looked so good.

*stupid

**pretender

*Song for children Winter " by Jacques Prevert


	74. Chapter 74

Chapter 74

Martin entered the front door, hoping to keep his absence private but Louisa heard him enter. "I've been looking all over for you! Buddy's been scratching at the door and barking like mad. Where've you been? Oh god, you're freezing! Here, let me have your coat and you go sit in the lounge. Chop, chop!" She threw his coat over Morwenna's desk much to his displeasure. She ran upstairs and got his house shoes and a thick comforter. She made him take off his suit coat, tie and shoes and wrapped the comforter around his shoulders and pushed him down on the sofa. Ruth was holding James Henry and watched as her strong, independent nephew took orders from his wife. For the first time, Buddy jumped up on the couch and snuggled next to his master and wasn't ordered to get down.

"Louisa, what are you doing?" Martin asked in amazement.

She didn't speak, just continued to care for him. She sat cross-legged on the floor in front of him and started massaging his calves and feet. They were ice cold! "Idiot! Where in the world did you go and why didn't you dress more warmly? What would you say if I did something like this?" She asked with anger born out of concern.

He watched her rubbing his feet and felt a rush of tenderness that almost overwhelmed him. No one had ever cared for his well being like this before. How he loved this woman!

"Well? An answer would be welcome!" She said as she slipped his house shoes on his feet and got to her feet. "Do you want tea or espresso? You should have something warm to drink."

"Tea, please." He said meekly and pulled Buddy under the blanket so they would both be warm.

She made a large cup of tea and, as he held the mug to warm his hands, he said, "I didn't mean to worry you. I just went to see a couple of patients. I'm still a doctor and…" and his voice trailed off.

"You went to see Matthew! And Mrs. Pickens?" She was smiling now.

"Yes. This is truly a village of idiots!" He said defensively.

"And Chippy Miller?" She continued to question him.

"No, I'll see him tomorrow. It would better for the village if the new gp could start sooner." He said to Ruth, trying to change the subject. "He's from Australia; young, bright and talented according to Chris."

"Very good. What's his name?" Asked Ruth as put James Henry in the playpen and handed him his rattle.

"Steve…Steve Baker. He agreed to buy the surgery after Louisa sent him pictures of the harbor." He had warmed up and removed the blanket. Buddy snuggled closer and slept on.

Ruth looked at Louisa with wry admiration and said, "Wise move!"

"Excuse me but his name is Scott Taylor. I'm eager to meet him. I've never met anyone from Australia." Louisa shook her head teasingly as she took the blanket and mug from him. "Shouldn't you be cooking dinner now?"

"Yes. Where are my shoes? You set the table and I'll start." He put on his shoes and stretched.

"You're the boss. Ruth, I'm so glad you're here. And I do believe James Henry is too." She stroked the baby's head as she spoke and went to start on the table. "After I finish this, I'm going to change. It seems that I've forgotten how to wear anything but dungarees!"

Martin prepared a masterpiece and the smells from the kitchen made Ruth's stomach growl and James Henry want his dinner early. "Louisa, my nephew is hungry and I don't blame him. How do you prepare his cereal? No, no I'll do it. Just tell me how."

"Let me hold him while you do it." Louisa told her where everything was and watched her prepare it. "His baby food is over here. He gets peas tonight with the cereal." She put him in the carry all and Ruth fed him, clumsily at first, but eventually got the hang of it.

"That's it! I don't know whether you're a messy eater or I'm doing messy job but it eventually gets in your mouth. Well, I'm glad to see you're enjoying yourself!" Ruth said and grinned at him. She was amazed that anything this small could have so much personality and be so entertaining!

Chris and Carol came in as they finished, laughing at the food all over the baby and seeing him grin at them.

"Ruth, this is Chris and Carol Parsons. Chris and Carol, this is my aunt, Ruth Ellingham. She's a doctor, too. A psychiatrist who works at Broadmoor. Here, let me take the cake. Louisa should be down shortly." Martin said as he wished Louisa was here to help with the niceties. They looked unbelievably at Martin; no suit coat or tie! Blimey!

"How do you do. It's so nice to meet you and the cake looks marvelous. And your laughter is appropriate – this is my first attempt at feeding a baby. He certainly is happy to see you two. I'll clean him up a little and you can hold him." Martin looked at Ruth as she spoke in puzzled concern. His dry, no nonsense Aunt Ruth was actually friendly and charming! As a matter of fact, she acted – what was the word the villagers used? Oh yes cakey, which meant as far as he could make out, soft and feeble minded every time she was around James Henry.

Louisa came running down the stairs dressed in her 'skinny jeans' and soft red top. And, much to his dismay, high heeled, pointed toe, half boots. So bad for her feet!

"Hello! Sorry I'm late. It's so good to see you!" She and Carol embraced and Chris held out his hand. "Oh, com'ere!" And she embraced him, too. "Let me take your coats." She nodded to Ruth and asked, "You've been introduced?"

Thus began a pleasant evening between old and trusted friends with Ruth fitting in perfectly. James Henry grinned, giggled and made the cutest faces!

Carol told Martin, "That was a splendid meal. You prepare it better than anybody and I'm so full!" Chris nodded in agreement and pushed back from the table and turned away to discretely loosen his belt. Ah, that felt better!

"We should wait to eat the cake. I don't know about the rest of you, but I couldn't possibly enjoy it right now." Moaned Carol.

Louisa nodded and said, "I wager I've put on half a stone! Martin and I will clean up a little and join you in the lounge. Ruth and James Henry will take you through."

"You know better than that! We'll all help and be through that much quicker. No, don't argue." Ordered Carol and Chris started stacking the dishes. James Henry started fussing so Ruth took him upstairs to get him ready for bed. The four of them made short work of cleaning up and retired to the lounge with their coffee.

"We read about your discovery in the paper Louisa. How exciting! What do you think's in the casks?" Chris asked.

Louisa and Martin filled them in about the casks and the renovations "Thrilling times!" Exclaimed Carol and Chris followed up with, "And busy times. Monday's a big day for you Mart. Everyone is very excited to have you on the staff, you know. _I'm_ excited, too."

"You've no idea how much the villagers miss Martin. Several of them won't or can't go to Wadebridge to see the gp there. Just today…" Louisa started to say.

Martin interrupted her by asking if anyone wanted more coffee and squirmed in his seat with embarrassment. Chris observed this odd behavior and, knowing Martin as he did, asked, "What happened today Louisa?"

Louisa raised her eyebrows at Martin with a questioning look. He answered, "Nothing much. Just a couple of people are having difficulties because they're too dim to see the on call doctor. Does anybody want more coffee and shall I serve the cake now?"

Chris stared at him assessingly but let it go. He obviously stepped in to help some people in the village and felt uncomfortable talking about it. "I don't know where I'll put it but can't resist a piece." And he and Carol followed Martin and Louisa to the kitchen. Ruth came back downstairs with James Henry.

"All clean and sweet smelling. He's like trying to dress an octopus with extra legs and tried to take me out with a nappy he grabbed." Ruth said with a slight smile on her thin lips. "Is it time for a bottle, Louisa?"

"In a little while. Have your cake first. Carol, it looks amazing! I've never made one before. Do you have a special recipe?" Louisa said as she served the cake.

The rest of the evening passed just as pleasantly as the first part. Louisa fixed a bottle for the baby and Ruth said goodnight as she left to go upstairs to rock him to sleep. "It's time for us to go too. It's been such a good evening with exciting stories!" Exclaimed Carol. Chris nodded in agreement and took their coats from Louisa.

"I'll see you Monday morning, Mart. Couple of meetings I need to attend so I'll be there, too. If possible, let's have lunch together." Chris said.

"Yes, that would be good." Martin said as he and Louisa walked their guests to the door.

"It's so cold! Be careful driving home. I wish the wind wasn't blowing so hard." Louisa lamented.

"No worries. I'll be careful. Good night. Tell Ruth we enjoyed meeting her." Chris said and they left. As they drove out of the village, they commented at the same time about Martin's behavior and how happy he seemed. "It's even better than he was before his awful parents and that god-awful Edith both hurt him that weekend. So delighted for him!" Carol said happily and Chris nodded in agreement.

Louisa wrapped her arms around Martin's waist and snuggled her nose into the nape of his neck. "That went well. They're such good friends." And she yawned hugely. "Goodness, I'm sleepy! Are you coming up now or what?"

"I'll let Buddy out first. Go on, I'll be right behind you." Martin said and gave her a squeeze before she went up the stairs.

She brushed her teeth, took off those horridly uncomfortable boots, undressed, scattering her clothes around the room, and fell into bed without checking on Ruth and the baby.

When Martin came up, he found them both asleep in the rocking chair. He gently shook Ruth and she snorted as she woke up. "Well, I'm sure that sounded attractive! Here, take him so I can get up. My bones are stiff. Arwuf-f! That hurts! I'll go downstairs to the loo and come right back up. I'm very sleepy." She said through a yawn.

Martin nodded and gently laid the baby in his crib and covered him carefully with a warm blanket. He laid two fingers on his forehead and walked softly out of the room. He waited on  
Ruth to come up and said good night. Soon the house was quiet and dark with Martin pressed closely against the warm body of Louisa, both asleep, her clothes neatly put away.


	75. Chapter 75

Chapter 75

Sunday morning Louisa rose early to go to the leisure center. The weather had changed overnight; not nearly as cold and the wind was just a gentle breeze. Thank goodness! It had been cold long enough. She jogged down the hill, Buddy running happily beside her. He hadn't had his share of exercise in the past few days either. The water was cold but she soon got used to it and swam her customary fifty laps. She was more than a little sluggish because of the overeating she had done last night. To deal with the extra calories, she also did fifteen minutes on the step master and fast walked up the hill back to the surgery. She was definitely out of shape!

Buddy had entertained himself during her absence by exploring some nearby garbage cans. Jackpot! He found some pork pies and a pastie that were soon gobbled down. They were actually some _old_ treats. Thanks goodness she didn't run up the hill. He was so full he had trouble just walking the distance!

He and Louisa went in the back door to the smells of coffee, toast, porridge and the sound of a squealing baby. His new trick was to emit a squeal at unpredictable and hilarious intervals. They were waiting on her before they started breakfast. "Ruth requested this for breakfast since she's still unable to cook a decent bowl of porridge. James Henry's been fed so sit down and start. I'll feed Buddy and join you." For once, Buddy wasn't interest in food. Unusual but Martin wasn't concerned. "I think I'll eat later and take the opportunity to go to the leisure center. The weather looks better than it has in at least three weeks." He took the stairs two at a time and returned shortly dressed in a warm up suit and trainers. "I won't be gone long. Come one Buddy." For the first time ever, Buddy stayed in his bed. Martin frowned but went without him.

Louisa and Ruth planned to take advantage of the fine weather and go out for a walk and visit the shops. "You know I've missed this village. And the people! My colleagues are decent, educated and dedicated people and I enjoy my work but I find that I would rat…" She didn't finish her sentence, just looked pensive. "I'll take James Henry upstairs and get him ready while you go shower. Let's eat lunch at The Golden Lion if Martin would join us. Appealing?"

Louisa noticed her hesitation but ignored it until she was ready to open up about what was bothering her. "Yes, it's _very_ appealing and Martin will eat there if we ask nicely. We've missed our walks haven't we James Henry." She went upstairs ahead of them and rushed through her shower. By the time she was through, Martin got home. Ruth told him about their plans and he agreed to join them.

Buddy didn't meet him at the door and now he was getting concerned. "Come here Buddy. Buddy, what's wrong with you?" He wagged his tail and rolled over but refused to get up. Martin knelt beside him, petting and examining him at the same time. "Let's get you to my examination couch." He picked the little dog up and carried him to the consultation room, Louise and Ruth following him.

"What do you think's wrong with him? He was fine when I went to the center. Martin? He needs a vet. You've always told everyone you're not a vet!" Louisa was worried. They were fond of this little dog, especially Martin. More fond than he wanted to admit.

Ruth stood by with James Henry in her arms, not speaking but they could tell she was worried.

"No Louisa, I'm not a vet but, since we adopted him, I've done some research. His belly feels bloated and he has a temperature." Buddy felt so bad that he didn't even protest the thermometer being stuck up his rear. "Do you know if he ate anything while you were out? Wait! He's vomiting. That looks like pork – from a pie. See the crust. There comes a…wait a minute. That looks like a pastie! He must have raided a garbage can and thought he was having a feast! They have a vet on duty at the pet store in Wadebridge. I'll take him there to get treatment so I can't meet you for lunch." He wrapped up the vomit and through it in the bin, washed his hands and wrapped the patient in a towel and left with him, barely stopping to say goodbye. Louisa called after him to call her and tell her how he was doing. He nodded and put Buddy in the backseat of the Lexus and drove off.

Ruth saw how worried Louisa was and said "There's no need for you to worry. Martin's doing the right thing and will let you know how it goes. Let's go for our walk. Is that alright with you, small nephew? Louisa?"

Louisa was chewing her lip and staring at the closed door. "Yes. Let's go on." She put the baby in his stroller and they were off. It seemed the whole village was out enjoying the weather and so many stopped them to say hello that it took over an hour just to walk to the platt.

As they were visiting the Fish Market, Martin called. "Buddy is fine. The vet said to feed him Hills ID canned food for the next few days. It'll sooth his stomach and the good news is that there doesn't seem to be any lasting damage. While I'm out, I'll go see Chippy Miller and check his leg. Did you plan anything for supper?"

"Yes, Ruth wants beef steaks and baked potatoes. I'll get some sprouts and we can roast them. See you soon."

Ruth was clearly enjoying herself. She had gotten to know so many people in the short time she lived at the farm and was liked by them all. Her wry little smile was evident over and over again. James Henry grinned, chortled and squealed, enchanting the inhabitants all over again. They stopped at Chough's Bakery and got a delicious cup of cream tea to go. The smell of fresh baked bread was making their mouths water. Elaine came out front, flour all over her apron and a smudge on her face, to say hello to them and see the baby. "My, you're growing so fast! And you look just like your Pa. Hello Louisa, Ruth. So good to see you. It's been a while I think."

Both women agreed. Louisa blamed the weather and renovations and Ruth – well she moved to another town.

"Yes, I know you moved but you should come back. We sure do miss you around here. And lord knows we miss the Doc. Never replace him. Never. Especially his charmin' bedside manner!" Elaine chuckled and excused herself. Those pasties wouldn't bake themselves.

They continued on through the village past the closed May Contain Nuts shop and saw the closed sign. "Now that's unusual! I do hope Mathew is alright. I was hoping to see him before I leave."

"You could call him after lunch. Which I'm more than ready for! How about you?" Louisa said as her stomach growled loudly.

Ruth chuckled at that and agreed to make their way to the restaurant. A friendly waitress showed them to a table with a view of the harbor, gave them menus, flirted with James Henry and left them to settle in and put him in a high chair for the first time. "Look at you! What a big boy you are. How 'bout I send a picture of this to Daddy. He'll be surprised." She got one of him studying a spoon with a comical and quizzical look on his face.

Ruth dreamily looked at the view and ignored the menu. "I think I could look at this view evefry day for the rest of my life. Look how clear the water is after the storm."

Louisa was busy getting the baby's food ready and looking at the menu. Good thing she knew how to multi-task! "I'm going for the traditional and they do it very well – fish and chips. How 'bout you? Ruth? Are you ready to order?"

Ruth regretfully turned her attention back to the menu. "Hm-m-m, the Roasted Cherry Tomato & Kale Stew with Chickpeas & Roast Garlic looks good. I'll have that."

"It _is_ good. Everything on the menu is good as a matter of fact. The fish and chips are scrumptious!" Louisa replied as she fed a hungry baby his cereal and plums. Their waitress brought a basket of rolls made at Chough's and their drinks. The owners and staff made every visitor feel welcome and special. Their food arrived and they spent the next little while enjoying fabulously prepared meals and pleasant conversation between two people who trusted and liked each other.

"Ruth, is something bothering you? I don't mean to pry but you're not acting exactly like yourself." Louisa asked hesitantly.

Ruth gave her the 'fish eye' and replied in her driest voice, "Yes, but I'm not ready to talk about it. I'll be sure and let you know when I am."

Louisa blushed and stumbled her next sentence. "I'm sorry Ruth. I really…I mean certainly don't mean to pry. Are you finished? We really should continue on."

Ruth softened, "Louisa, dear child, I'm not angry with you and certainly didn't mean to hurt you. I just have a problem that requires my full attention. Well, it's not exactly a problem – more like correcting a mistake."

"Of course. But we really should move along. James Henry will need his nap soon." Still embarrassed and feeling like she had been put in her place, Louisa gathered up her shopping, purse and the baby.

"Louisa, I didn't mean to shut you out or embarrass either of us. I have to think something through. Finally! I obviously didn't…Well, never mind. Let's go. Let me push the stroller please." And they started for home.

Martin knocked on Chippy Miller's door and was greeted by Mrs. Miller. "Come in, come in Doc. Gotta say you're a real welcome sight! Chippy's havin' a fit with 'is leg. Painin' 'im somethin' awful. Here he is, right on time. Where do you want to examine him?"

"He's fine right there. What happened?" Martin asked as he started removing the bandage. He definitely didn't like the smell coming from it.

"I was helpin' Humphra – you know old Humphra don't you? Farmer lives up near Trelights. Raises hogs. I was feedin' 'em and tripped over a big'un. Hit just right on a rock and gashed my leg open. It's sure good to see ya." Chippy was obviously in pain and running a temperature but still friendly to the Doc.

"When did this happen? Was the rock _in_ the pig pen? Did it have feces on it?" Martin asked as he cleaned the wound.

"Well, let's see. 'Bout ten days ago. Feces? You mean pig shit?" Martin snorted and nodded and Chippy continued. "Course it was! It was in a hog lot atter all. I been doin' ever thing the Doc in Wadebridge said to do but I ain't gettin' no better."

"Now Chippy, don't tell lies! He was supposed to stay off it but he's been to the pub more'n a few times. And he rides those buses two times a week. Hard on 'im." Said Mrs. Miller worriedly.

"You have what the medical world calls wet gangrene and you must go to the hospital immediately for treatment. You said you go to the doctor in Wadebridge two times a week? Have you missed any appointments lately?" Martin lightly wrapped the wound as he spoke.

Chippie and his wife said at the same time, "Gangrene!" Chippie continued, "Gangrene? How in the hell did I get that? I could lose my bloody leg!"

"You got it by not taking proper care of a severe wound on your leg and not following doctor's orders. With proper treatment, you'll keep your leg. Now, I'm going to call an ambulance while Mrs. Miller packs a bag for you." He had the ambulance service on speed dial and they were soon on their way. "I repeat, have you missed any appointments lately?" Martin asked in a stern voice.

"Course I have. Goin' there two days a week, takin' two buses each way is really tiresome. Maggie had the migraine three days last week. Just so happens it was on the days I was supposed to go to Wadebridge. It's just hard, Doc. Be glad when the new Doc gets here. When did you say it was?" Chippie started out being defensive but ended in an apologetic voice.

Martin scowled at him, thinking how stupid people in the village of idiots could be. But, Chippie was right. The journeys would be hard on anyone, much less a person in pain. Maybe not so stupid after all. "He should open the surgery sometime after Christmas. You'll probably be in the hospital at least a week."

Chippie and his wife looked at each other with dismay. "Doc, we're barely makin' it now. I don't have no insurance, no way to cover our bills."

"We don't mean to bother you with our troubles. We'll work somethin' out. I'll go pack your bag. Chippie, go wash your face and brush your teeth. You're goin' to be around somebody besides me now." Maggie squared her shoulders and left the room. Martin could hear her sobbing softly and, it was unbelievable, but he was touched by the sound.

The ambulance arrived a few minutes later and took them away.

Buddy was curled up asleep in the back seat and he drove home without waking him. Poor dog! Hopefully he learned a lesson but it was doubtful.

He arrived at the surgery as Louisa was unlocking the front door. Poor Buddy was still sick so Martin carried him in and laid him on the rug in front of the heater. James Henry was too sleepy to squeal but he managed a smile when his Daddy picked him up. His head fell on that broad shoulder and he was asleep before he was put in his crib.

Louisa brought Buddy's soft, warm bed into the lounge, placed him in and covered him up. Poor baby!

Ruth watched the activities and smiled inwardly. Martin fond of a pet! And letting it sleep in the house!


	76. Chapter 76

Chapter 76

"Martin, you missed a wonderful lunch. Kale is quite the thing now-a-days. How will you prepare the steaks tonight?" Ruth asked.

"Seared on both sides and finished in the oven. I have a new recipe for potatoes that I'd like to try instead of baking them." Martin said politely.

"Certainly! I leave early tomorrow morning you know. I'll book a taxi for seven o'clock." Ruth said, trying to cover up the awkwardness that still existed between her and Louisa.

"I would take you but I'll be halfway to Truro by that time. Louisa could do it but she'll be at the farm house. By the way, did you call Morwenna to see if she can keep James Henry?"

"No, I thought you did! I'll call her now." She called Morwenna and, fortunately, she answered her phone. "I'm so sorry Morwenna! I thought Martin called you and he thought I did. We'll get better at this – I promise. Can you keep James Henry tomorrow?"

"It's ok but I already got a commitment tomorrow. I'm gonna to talk to some current and past students of accountin'. They're gonna tell me and a couple other new students just what we're gettin' ourselves into. I can keep him the rest of the week if you need me to. Course that means I can't help you paint. "

"Well that's what we get for bad planning. Yes, I can use you the rest of this week and don't worry about the painting. Can you be here at eight Tuesday morning? You can? Wonderful! See you then." Louisa hung up and sighed. "I guess I won't start on the painting till Tuesday. I can take him with me to see how far Elspeth got with the new wiring. And then to the farm house to talk to Mr. Brown about the upstairs rooms."

Martin scowled and grumbled, "We agreed that James Henry should be kept away from any construction because of the dust and noise. I strongly disapprove of your plan, Louisa."

"I'm not crazy about it Mar-tin! But you're right. I'll make do with calling them instead." Louisa sighed with frustration and said. "I'm just so antsy and want to be there to make sure everything's ok. Maybe HP will check the lock on the barn door and make sure it hasn't been tampered with."

Ruth had been listening and almost looked relieved. "I have a suggestion – if you want to hear it."

Martin was still scowling but for a different reason. Believe it or not, he actually almost understood Louisa's desire to be present at the construction sites. Empathy. He had always lacked the smallest bit of it but, thanks to Louisa, was beginning to at least shake hands with it and it was bloody uncomfortable! "Yes?" He said, not to politely.

"Don't snap, Martin. My suggestion may be the answer to Louisa's problem. I'll stay an extra day and keep the child. James Henry that is. But of course you know that!" She sounded part flustered and part eager. She looked at their doubtful faces and asked, "Don't you think I'm capable of caring for an infant?"

They looked at each other and Louisa answered, "Of course we do! But your job is so important to you. Are you sure you want to miss a day?" Martin looked at her with equal doubt.

Ruth was silent so long they thought she wasn't going to answer them. "Time for honesty. With myself most of all. I obviously didn't think through the decision to leave. I took the position because I…I don't want to give up. Be old. Quit. But, living here with my family is more important to me than anything else. The people here keep me involved with their gossip, their relationships, their troubles. I missed the baby more than…well, just say I missed him. And now I've been given chance to correct a mistake I made years ago. I didn't know you Martin. Getting away from Mother, my horrible brother, having a career were my goals in life. I like to think if I _had_ known how horrible your parents were that I would've tried to do something about it. With Joan of course. But now, I can be part of a family, be a proper aunt to James Henry. I'm thinking about moving back here."

Louisa could tell she was tense while waiting for their reply. "Nothing could make me happier Ruth. We want you to be a part of James Henry's and our lives – a loving part."

Martin nodded in agreement. "Where will you live? Do you want the tenant house, the farm house, to live with us or what?"

"No, not the tenant house or that big, lonely farm house and certainly not live with you! You two _and I_ need our privacy. I want to be in the village. I've been checking on line and there's a house on Fore Street with a wonderful view of the harbor and Port Gaverne." She was talking faster with excitement. "It'll cost me a pretty pence but I consider it an investment. It's fully furnished and move in ready if you don't mind the eclectic choice of furniture. And can you believe beads for doors! I can call and make an offer on it right now." She stopped and looked at them, waiting for a response.

Louisa beamed happily and asked, "Need any help moving your things? This is wonderful!" And she embraced her, stood back and looked at Martin. He didn't move to embrace her but he did agree with Louisa but still had one concern. "Do you think you can really give up your work?"

"I'm not. Ever heard of video conferencing? Basically, I research and write, then go to a conference where we talk about our ideas. I can do that just as easily from here. I'll lose my deposit on the apartment but it's a small price to pay."

Martin's face relaxed and he smiled at his aunt for the first time in his life, "Very well. Do you need any help? I can drive to your apartment when you're ready to move and bring you and your things back."

Ruth smiled back at him and said. "So it's just me and James Henry tomorrow. I'm a little nervous." She looked ruefully at Louisa and said, "I was thinking about this at the restaurant. I'm sorry I was short with you."

"No problem. This has made me very happy! And don't be nervous. You do very well with him and he certainly loves you!" Louisa told her.

"Well? Do you know when you'll move back and do you want me to help you or not? I'm perfectly willing to do it. It will save you a train trip dealing with your luggage." Martin asked again.

"I think it's a good idea. Thank you Martin. You both understand that may have to stay here until I can move in the house. I quite like sleeping in the same room with a baby. He makes the most unusual noises." Ruth was walking on air. "I'll call the agent. Mr. Conan Davies? This is Dr. Ruth Ellingham. I'm calling about your listing on Fore Street. Yes, that's the one. I'd like to make an offer." In one afternoon, Ruth bought a house. Well almost. The offer was made and accepted and a time set to close the deal. The owners had already vacated the property and were in a hurry to get their money and use it to buy into the retirement home in Wadebridge.

"Ruth, Conan Davies is the agent who's managing our rental properties. I've known him all my life. I knew the people who used to live there; went to school with their kids. Did he say when you can go in the house – inspect it? I'd like to go with you if you don't mind." Louisa asked.

"He's going to bring by the offer in about an hour. I can ask him then. Louisa, can I interest you in some of your wine? I feel the need to celebrate a little. Martin, you can celebrate with your usual glass of water." She said teasingly.

"Absolutely! Martin, will you open this please?" He did and she poured them each a glass.

"Here's to family." Ruth said as she and Louisa clicked their glasses. "I hear the baby. Let me go get him. I wager he needs a clean nappy and probably a bottle. Right?"

She went upstairs and James Henry greeted her with a smile and a squeal. This was exciting! His Aunt Ruth came for him. "Oh my! I should say that you need a clean nappy. How delightful!" She continued to talk nonsense to him while she thoroughly cleaned his bottom. "I think your Mommy has a bottle for you. Shall we go and see? Come on. Let's go see Mommy and Daddy."

She entered the kitchen carrying the smelly diaper and handed it to Martin with an innocent look. "I think you know what to do with this. Right? Where's his bottle?"

Martin automatically held out his hand, gave her a disgusted look and took her 'present' gingerly out to the bin.

"I think you should make it. Practice for you. Do you know where everything is?" Louisa answered with a question.

"Yes, I think so. Bottle, nipple, formula." She placed the baby in the carryall and made his bottle. "Not so difficult. Who wants to feed him since I'll get to do it all day tomorrow."

Louisa and Martin said, "I will." At the same time. They both hesitated, not wanting to take the other ones pleasure.

"You go ahead Martin. You're going to be leaving so early and coming home so much later that you'll miss out on most of his feedings." Louisa offered generously.

"Thank you." He picked up his son and went to the lounge for a little 'man time'. Louisa and Ruth, the awkwardness between them totally forgotten, sat in the kitchen and talked comfortably as good friends do.

Martin put the baby in his playpen and told them that it was time for him to prepare an early supper. "I have a patient coming at six so that I can change his dressing. Plus, I'll have an early night since I have to get up so early in the morning."

They had a pleasant time, all three of them in the kitchen, Martin preparing the majority of their dinner and Louisa helping as directed. He had never seen his aunt so relaxed and cheerful. Of course, two more glasses of wine helped her mood.

Ruth sighed blissfully as she took her first bite of steak. "You really need to give me cookery lessons. And the potatoes are very good. I've never had them prepared this way before. Thank you for this lovely meal. I'm going to miss this."

"Cooking just requires attention to detail, good, detailed recipes and maybe a sense of adventure." Martin said as one who had always found cooking to be easy.

Too busy eating to argue, Ruth just said, "Humph."

They finished and Ruth insisted on cleaning up the kitchen. "After all, you two cooked it."

He had some time before Mathew was supposed to arrive and took the opportunity to spend the time with Louisa and their son. One of the things he enjoyed most was watching her and James Henry interact together. He read to James Henry but not with the same flair. Louisa made the stories come alive with sounds, faces and hand gestures. The baby clearly loved hearing his voice and it was guaranteed to help him go to sleep. But she made him a participant who laughed and clearly learned. She chose an improbable story about a talking train – a choo-choo train. How could she read such drivel! And seem to enjoy it? He shouldn't wonder at that – James Henry clearly enjoyed it!

"This sounds like a happy family gathering. Who's your patient Martin? And don't tell me you can't talk about him or her – all I'm asking is the name." Ruth asked.

"It's Mathew Early from May Contain Nuts." He answered, uncomfortable with giving even this tiny bit of information about a patient.

"And you need to change his dressing. That must be why the 'closed' sign was on his door." Ruth surmised. She knew enough to not ask any more questions. "I wanted to see him this trip. Did you know he's studying psychology at Open University? I helped him a little. Still do by Skyp. He's a very bright young man."

"I'm going to the consultation room to prepare for his visit. It shouldn't take long." He said as he left the lounge.

Ruth called after him, "Please tell him I wish to speak to him while he's here."

Martin nodded and kept walking. Soon, they heard a knock on the door and low voices.

"Hi Doc. Thanks for seein' me. I been doin' what you told me to do and the hand feels lots better." Mathew said gratefully.

Martin removed the dressing and inspected the wound. "Yes, this looks much better. But I still want you to restrict the use of it and continue with the sling and antibiotics."

"Doc, I can't do that! I know I should but I got to keep the shop open!" He gave a frustrated sigh.

"I may have a solution for you. Do you know Chirpie Miller and his wife, Melba?" Martin asked as he rewrapped the hand.

Mathew looked at him with confusion. "Don't you mean Chippie and Maggie? Yeah, I know them. Why?"

"Because she may be looking for a job and will need to start very soon. That's finished. If you have further trouble with it, go to the gp in Wadebridge. And don't delay! Before you go, I'm supposed to tell you that Ruth Ellingham is here and would like to speak with you. Martin said as he cleared up the old dressing and his supplies.

"Thanks. I been wantin' to talk to her." Mathew replied.

"I'll call her." And he walked out leaving Mathew without a goodbye, kiss my arse or anything thing else. Mathew grimaced and thought, "Prat!"

Ruth entered the room and greeted him. "Hello Mathew. How are you?"

"Fine except for this hand. Cut it a few days ago. How do you like your new job? We sure do miss you around here." Mathew said as he offered her a seat on one of the uncomfortable waiting room chairs.

"Let's say I missed the village more than I thought I would and am moving back. I'm buying the house on Fore Street."

Mathew's face lit up and he started to congratulate her but she continued in her inimitable way. "Congratulatory words are not necessary. I wanted to ask how you're progressing in your studies."

"I at least have to say welcome back!" Her expression warned him to quickly change the subject. He knew her bark was worse than her bite and just grinned for a moment but quickly turned serious. "They're slow. Maybe I'm wasting my time. The shop keeps me busy and my help just up and quit. You was always such a help and encouragement to me."

"Education is _never_ a waste of time. I'm willing to assist you from time to time like I did before. I could help in the shop too if I weren't in the middle moving back here. Something will come up. In the mean time, I have business to conduct. Good day." She rose to her feet, nodded and left.

He made his way back to his home, an apartment behind the shop and called Maggie. She could start tomorrow and was clearly excited to do so. Now, a visit to the pub was in order. He had news!


	77. Chapter 77

Chapter 77

"Good to have 'er back I say." "Wonder why? She sure didn't stay away fur long." "I'd say she couldn't stay away from old Tim. Ain't that right Tim?" Tim was illiterate, rather pudgy, slightly dirty and the friendliest, best hearted man in the village. Also he had more common sense than most people in the village and had never done anything but work on fishing boats since he was a child.

"Areah!* That be it! Didnus** say she needed a lovin' man? Nay, she be a good'un. Don't be makin' a game of her." Tim was all for fun but not at the expense of someone else.

"We didn't mean no harm, Tim. We's all glad to see her back 'ere. Next thing, the Doc'll be back! Ain't been insulted since last time I seen 'im." Said one of the patrons.

There was general laughter and the subject turned to other village gossip. Mathew was quite a celebrity that night.

After James Henry had his bedtime story read to him and his nightly bottle, Martin laid him gently in the crib and covered him with his warm blanket. He made little snuffling noises, pulled his knees up under his belly and slept on.

Ruth took a shower, dressed in a warm housecoat and enjoyed another evening quietly talking, reading and watching that program about the rude doctor that everyone was talking about. "He really is rather rude but is a marvelous diagnostician. Look, there's the platt. It's wonderful to see the village showcased like that."

Louisa added, eyes glued to the telly, "And he's very good looking. And such a good actor! If he would only smile!" To which Ruth said a soft, "Uh huh!"

Martin glanced up from the latest lancet and grunted, "Humph! Looks like a prat."

Which caused Louisa to smile contentedly while she cuddled against him and Ruth to smirk.

Martin gave Ruth a sharp look and announced, "I'm going to bed. Louisa, I'm setting the alarm for five. I hope it doesn't wake you. I'll be as quiet as I can." Martin told her as he rose, stretched and carried their tea cups to the kitchen.

"Nonsense! I'll get up with you and make your breakfast while you dress. What time will you leave?" Louisa asked.

"Six. But soon, I'll leave at five. Surgery starts at seven and I must get there in time to prepare. I don't want your rest disturbed." He said.

She just rolled her eyes at him, told him she would let Buddy out and lock up. "I'll come up shortly. Ruth, come up whenever you're ready."

"I'm going to read Martin's lancet. Doesn't hurt to keep up to date. Good night dear." Ruth said absent mindedly, already engrossed in an article.

Louisa went upstairs hoping for a quiet cuddle; or to put it bluntly, quiet sex. Martin was just stepping out of the shower and, as he reached for a towel and the muscles played on his chest, she just stood there staring. His body immediately reacted to the expression of desire on her face and he held out his towel. "Would you dry my back, please?"

She licked her lips and walked to him and caressed more than dried his back, following the towel with soft little kisses. She dried those firm buttocks and long legs, and then moved to his front, doing the same with drying and kissing until he groaned and pulled her to him and… privacy. We all need privacy.

The alarm didn't go off because Martin had been lying there awake cuddling with Louisa since two and had turned it off. At a few minutes before five, he slipped out of bed intending to let her sleep while he got ready. But she had other plans. She had set the alarm on her phone and it woke her at five as planned. "Um-m-m. Good morning, love." She had a satisfied smile on her face and stretched languidly.

God! She was so lovely and desirable! All he wanted to do was jump back into bed and love her until they were both exhausted. But needs must and, inwardly groaning, he walked into the loo and prepared for the day.

She rose and went downstairs for an urgent trip to the toilet. They had eagerly kissed every part of the other's body and were sharing so much but she just couldn't believe that he would ever be comfortable with her on the toilet while he shaved or brushed his teeth. Soft boiled eggs and soldiers. His favorite breakfast with a glass of orange juice and espresso. That should set him up for the day. He entered the kitchen in one of the tailored suits he had held back from daily use in the village. Matching tie, crisp white shirt, brilliantly polished shoes and perfectly groomed. He, frankly, looked gorgeous. He kissed her and sat down to eat a quick breakfast. "I should be home no later than five. Be careful today and don't overdo. Exhaustion is to be avoided you know."

"Yes Mar-tin! I avoid exhaustion whenever possible!" She replied flippantly.

He reprimanded her with a glance and told her he would call her at lunch time, kissed her rather more fervently than usual and disappeared in the darkness.

She stood watching for his interior car light and then the headlights until he drove out of site. She ran upstairs, took a quick shower and dressed in her old clothes she used for painting or gardening. Really grungy! She stuck a shower cap in her pocket and was ready for James Henry to wake up. It should be any time as he was an early riser like his father.

It wasn't long till she heard happy baby noises and Ruth also stirring. She knocked on the nursery door and heard Ruth say, "You may enter."

"Morning Ruth. Good morning my little poppet! Oh, you feel so good and smell so bad! I definitely think a clean nappy is in order." She put him on the changing table and dealt with the offending nappy. "Ready for brekkies? Say good morning to Auntie Ruth and we'll go fix something good to eat."

Ruth sat up in bed and watched the tender scene being played out between mother and baby. He grinned hugely at her and waved his arms toward her. "Come here small nephew. Can I have a kiss? Thank you very much. To be so sweet and adorable, you can certainly produce some rather pungent nappies! Now, go to Mommy and I'll be with you in a minute."

Louisa put him in his new high chair for the first time. When they first got it, Martin had checked and rechecked the straps and fasteners and cautioned her (like she needed to be!) to make sure they were done correctly. "Yes, Mar-tin. You can be sure that I'll be _very_ thorough."

"I want to make sure you understand the safety features and how to use them. See, this one goes…" He glanced up to make sure she was paying attention and saw the expression on her face. Uh-oh! "I…er…well, I think you can handle it on your own."

"Oh, thank you for that vote of confidence!" She fumed.

He had the grace to look a tiny bit embarrassed at his admonitions but just couldn't help himself. "Yes, yes. Harumph. I'm sure you'll take every precaution." And he kissed her cheek before busying himself unnecessarily with clearing the spotless table.

She remembered that little scene and smiled as she prepared the cereal and applesauce. "You have an exceptional father. Did you know that? He has a new job doing what he loves to do – what he was meant to do. He's a surgeon again. Some day you'll understand just how special that is."

James Henry smiled and waved his arms as if he understood every word and proceeded to eat a very hearty breakfast followed by a bottle.

Ruth came downstairs and joined Louisa for breakfast with James Henry looking on and babbling happily.

*Exclamation of surprise

**Didn't we

***proper


	78. Chapter 78

Chapter 78

"When are you going to the tenant house? It's supposed to be a cold but fine day so James Henry and I will go for walk. And what are you planning for supper? I can pick up whatever you need at the grocers. By the way, this espresso is delicious." The compliment was lost by her uttering it in her typical dry way but Louisa knew her well enough to accept it as meant.

"Thank you. Martin taught me the trick of really making it good. I'm leaving as soon as I finish eating. How does a chicken and rice casserole sound? With roasted sprouts. And I have a delicious recipe for rolls that only takes four ingredients. It's too much for you to carry up the hill while you're pushing a pram so I'll stop at the grocers on the way home." Louisa said as she wiped her lips with a napkin. "If you think of anything else you want or need me for anything, just call my cell." She nuzzled the baby's cheek and whispered, "Good bye for now little prince. I'll be home soon. Be good for Auntie Ruth." She put on a warm coat and said, as she stood by the door, ready to leave, "I'll call you before I leave the house."

She stopped by the farm house to check on the work going on there. Elspeth came up to greet her. "Hello Mrs. Ellingham. Thought I'd give you an update on the work at the tenant house. I'm going back there after I do some work here and, if all goes as planned, I should finish today. The wiring for the new boiler is complete and the men will have it installed by this evening. You can start painting if that's your plan."

"Very good! I'll arrange for the inspector to come by as soon as he can. We're ahead of the schedule thanks to you. Oh, and please call me Louiser. What did your girls do this weekend while you worked?" Louisa smiled with delight as she asked her question.

"Oh, they kept busy decorating their rooms. They chose the colors and helped me paint them last weekend. Fuchsia and lime green for one and bright white for the other! Whew!" Elspeth laughed as she spoke.

Louisa joined in her laughter and agreed. "Fuchsia and green are certainly bold colors but bright white? That's odd for a young girl don't you think?

"My youngest wants to be an artist and plans on using her walls as a canvas. I told her ok as long as whatever she does can be covered with another coat of paint." Elspeth shrugged her shoulders as she spoke.

"Good for her! What does she usually draw?" Louisa asked.

"Right now it's fairies and other mythical creatures. Used to be dogs. Costs me a fortune in paper and paint supplies!" She said proudly.

"Tell her the art teacher at the school is very good and can teach her a lot. Now, excuse me while I find HP." He was upstairs helping with the changes to Ruth's room. Danny's brother, Edward, turned out to be a good painter and was removing the old, damaged wallpaper. The plan was to replace it with an exact replica. A decorating firm in London had introduced a line of wallpaper with old Cornish designs to the delight of the residents of Cornwall. Ruth had often admired the wallpaper and lamented the damage to it. Louisa also planned to have the closet enlarged and was pleased with their progress. HP told her they had started work at five that morning. No wonder so much was being accomplished. She had given them their schedules for the week and they were exceeding her expectations. If the addition would go as well!

The water from both wells was sent off for testing.

The new boiler was delivered but the new room wasn't even started so it sat in the lounge for the time being. The men would return to the tenant house and do the installation that evening as Elspeth had told her they would. At least she'd have heat while she worked!

Two other men were measuring the wall and making notes about the doors to the addition.

Another man was in the kitchen taking down the cabinet doors and stacking them up for Edward to work on.

The plumber was deep in the bowels of the old pipes and fixtures. He was waiting to speak with her before going to the tenant house to check the pipes there. She gave him the go ahead and he left, promising to call her with what her found.

The windows couldn't be removed until the new ones were delivered. Since they hadn't even been ordered and were special order to boot, she had no idea as to a time line. But then, the window rep arrived and she took him upstairs to talk to HP and silently signaled him to call her about their conversation.

Then she got a surprise phone call from Mr. Nons. "Mrs. Ellingham? This is William Nons from Taste of Wine in Truro. I need to speak with you urgently."

"Of course. Go ahead." Louisa was puzzled at his tone.

"In spite of it being the weekend, I've spoken with your lawyer and our insurance company about the casks of wine. We feel confident enough as to their value to afford them protection. And with yours and Mr. Ellingham's permission, we want to move them today to our cellar. Word is getting around and the chance of theft is too great for our comfort. And, we're worried about the temperature changes."

"I understand your concern but don't we need to sign some papers? And what about my husband? Have you spoken to him?" She was worried and hesitatant.

"Your lawyer and a representative from our insurance company will accompany us to pick them up. We tried to get in touch with your husband but he's not taking any calls. Your lawyer says your signature will suffice." Mr. Nons was practically bubbling with excitement.

"If Mr. Kingdom agrees with it, then so will I. When will you be here?" She asked.

"Our truck is ready to go. We're waiting for Mr. Kingdom and Ms Morgana Rosen. She represents our insurance company. Say, within two hours. Can you wait?" He asked.

"Of course. Just call and let me know when you have a definite time." She said and they hung up. "Well, maybe I can help Edward while I wait." She went upstairs, introduced herself and helped remove the last of the wallpaper.

It wasn't long till Mr. Nons called and shortly thereafter, they all pulled up in front of the barn. Introductions were made and Louisa unlocked the barn door. Mr. Nons breathed a sigh of relief and actually patted one of the casks.

"Hello Louisa. It's good to see you again. I understand Martin started at the Truro hospital today. Exciting, huh?" Mr. Kingdom said jovially. "And speaking of exciting, these casks hold a fabulous surprise!"

"Yes they do. And it's good to see you, too. I understand you have some papers for me to sign?" Louisa asked.

"Yes, I do. And this is Ms. Morgana Rosen, the representative from the insurance company. You, she, Mr. Nons and I will all sign. It just states the following: that yours and Martin's property is to be stored in the cellars of The Taste of Wine under their protection and insured by Morganton and Morganton Insurance Company that Ms Rosen represents. Clear?" He stated and they all nodded in agreement. "All right. Louisa do you want to read it first?"

"Yes, I do. I'll try to be quick." She took the form to the other end of the barn and read it through. The questions she had were easily cleared up my William, aka Mr. Kingdom. "Who signs first?"

The form was signed and the casks loaded into the truck. Mr. Nons told her that Ms Marple had contacted Christie's that morning. They were sending someone to evaluate the contents of the casks as soon as they could. This was _huge_ news in the wine world. He would be in touch.

Finally she left for the tenant house. Al had been there for two hours waiting for her. She arrived at the house and called for him.

"Up here. I'm almost through with the first bedroom." He yelled back.

"I didn't mean for you to do all this without me! Thank you! I've been busy with lawyers, insurance companies, Christie's - you name it. The Taste of Wine moved the casks to their cellars for safe keeping and I had to sign a form authorizing them to do it. They say they could be very valuable." She explained.

"Well that's a good reason for bein' late! How long can you stay?" He asked as he rolled paint on the walls.

"Till about two thirty. I would ask you to dinner but it's Martin's first day and, _hopefully_ , he'll tell us about it. He was supposed to call me." She said as she started on the woodwork.

"No problem. Morwenna and I got plans of our own tonight." He was quiet for a minute and then asked, "What would you say if I told you that I'm gonna' to ask Morwenna to marry me?"

She kept painting and said teasingly, "I would say what took you so long? She's a catch, no mistake about that. When will you do it?"

"Tonight. Look at this." And he took a jeweler's box out of his pocket and opened it. It contained a gold ring with a small diamond in it. "It's not much. I'll promise her that I'll get a fitty*** one when I have the coin. Well, what'dya think?"

"I think it's lovely! And I bet she'll treasure it for the rest of her life. Fitty one! Gisson!" She laughed joyfully and hugged him. "Oh little brother! I'm so proud for you!"

He hugged her back, grinning from ear to ear. "I just have to get my business up and runnin'. Her going to school and all. It'll be tough till I do. But, god! I'm proud of 'er!" He shook his head in wonderment. "Enough of this. Let's paint!"


	79. Chapter 79

Chapter 79

They were both fast and neat so they finished the first bedroom and moved on to the hallway. She continued to do the woodwork and he the walls. Fresh paint made such a difference! He had brought some pasties and tea from Chough's Bakery. They worked as they ate and drank and soon they were painting the kitchen. "It's past time for me to leave. I have an errand to do before I go home. Am I allowed to tell Martin and Ruth your news or do you want to do it."

"I'll do it. She may say no." he said gloomily.

"She won't. I've seen the way she looks at you. I'll keep your secret." Chatting easily, they cleaned up and put away their tools, she kissed his cheek and they left. He promised to return tomorrow and they would finish the painting.

A quick trip to the grocers and she was on her way home. She had enough time to shower and make herself presentable before she prepared dinner.

"Hello Ruth and my little love. How did it go?" She picked up the squirming baby and twirled around the room with him. "Oh, I missed you! Did he keep you busy Ruth?"

"Yes, we had a good day. We went for a walk, he ate a good lunch, I read Les Miserable's to him and he took a good, long nap. He played in the playpen for a long while, drank some juice and here you are. I enjoyed myself very much and think he did, too. Can I do anything while you clean up?" Ruth sounded satisfied with her day.

"Yes, if you could bake the chicken breasts. I'll be down shortly." Louisa answered as she unloaded the groceries.

"Bake the chicken? How does one do that properly? Remember, I can't cook." Ruth said ruefully.

Louisa was a little surprised at such a question. "Well, turn the oven on to 176c (I think this is the proper conversion for 350o), lay the chicken out on this baking pan and let it cook for twenty-five minutes. That's it. I'll finish the meal when I come back downstairs."

"That sounds easy enough. Go on upstairs. James Henry and I have everything under control." Said Ruth confidently.

Louisa got cleaned up in record time. The excitement of her day put color in her cheeks and her eyes were sparkling. Makeup would be superfluous. A soft, white jumper, a long, straight skirt, sensible boots (for Martin of course!), hair worn tucked behind her ears with pretty clips and back downstairs. Her hair swayed in glorious sable waves each time she moved her head.

The chicken was cooked to perfection. She cooked the rice, made the sauce, chopped the chicken, topped it with Panko crumbs and into the oven. Next, the spouts. She sliced them, added fresh ground pepper and pine nuts, sprinkled them with olive oil and popped them in the oven with the casserole. The rolls were easy and quick to make. Everything was under control.

Ruth watched her move around the kitchen and marveled at the ease with which she did it. At least she could set the table. All they needed was Martin.

Louisa watched the door anxiously. Martin said five o'clock. It was now five thirty. Was something wrong? Where was he? When her anxiety was at a fever pitch, his car pulled into the parking space and she wilted for a moment. Shoulders up, smile and a happy greeting. She opened the door with James Henry in her arms and, for the first time, the baby reached for his father. He squealed and grinned, so happy to see his daddy. And Martin smiled back at him, one arm around Louisa and the other holding his son. "Well, good evening. I'm very happy to see you, too." Buddy was too polite to jump but he ran in circles and whined until Martin greeted him and rubbed his head. He kissed and nuzzled the baby's cheek and then gave Louisa a sumptuous kiss. He noticed Ruth watching them and his ears turned bright red and he immediately released Louisa. After harrumphing, he asked as casually as his embarrassment would allow, "Ruth. Was your day satisfactory?"

"Yes. The baby and I get along very well together." She answered and tried to keep from smirking. Her nephew was so predictable!

"Supper smells good! When will we eat?" He asked.

Louisa set the hot casserole on the table along with the sprouts and rolls. Of course water for Martin and wine for her and Ruth. James Henry was put in his normal center piece position, Martin washed his hands and they sat down at the table and enjoyed a dinner with optimal nutrition. He ate hungrily without speaking. Louisa was ready to explode with questions and could barely refrain from questioning him. Patience!

He sat back with a satisfied sigh, took the baby on his lap and said, "I assume you want to know how my day went. It was busy with paperwork, forms, tours and talk. I toured the surgery and _it is_ impressive. The interesting occurrence there was observing a surgery that involved a procedure that I developed years ago. I'll be teaching, assisting in surgery and emergencies and where ever else they need me for a while. I have to prove myself to them. And that was my day. I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to call you. How about your day? Did you and Al get much accomplished?"

She poured another glass of wine for Ruth and herself and told them about her day. They looked suitably impressed about the transfer of the casks and were complimentary about how much she and Al got done. She detailed the work on the farm house and Martin nodded in agreement that it was going well. Ruth was particularly happy about her room – the wallpaper and large closet. "Ruth, you were right about Christie's being called in about the casks. Wouldn't it be awful if they deemed them to be worthless? Oh well. There's no point in worrying about it. Don't you agree Martin?"

"Yes. I haven't had a moment to even consider them. The progress on your cottage and the house are far more important. Have you heard from Conan about the cottage?" He asked as he poured more tea for himself. James Henry grabbed for the pot and his alert Daddy moved it just in time. "You must learn to be careful! Mommy and Aunt Ruthie and I will teach you words like 'hot' and 'danger'."

"I know they had tenants for this week and that Mrs. Newth purchased the things she deemed necessary for their comfort. The invoice was pushed under the door. Must have come when you were out Ruth. Looks fairly reasonable to me. Here, see what you think." And she handed it to Martin.

He carefully checked it and found an error in the addition. "We owe them another four pounds. Someone made an error in addition. I agree; sounds reasonable. Have you written the check yet?"

"No, haven't had time but I'll do it now and make arrangements with Conan about getting it to him. Do you have any reading or work to do tonight or can you spend some time with us? I've gotten accustomed to having you around." She asked.

"No, nothing. What do you have in mind?" He grimaced as the baby chewed on his finger with those sharp little teeth as he spoke.

"Ruth, since you're leaving in the morning, you decide, bearing in mind that Martin must have an early night." Louisa said as she cleared the table.

"Let me help with that. What do I want to do? I don't play cards or many games, my work is boring to anyone outside my profession and I'm fear that I'm boring, too. Are you sure you want me to decide?" Ruth said with her thin, dry smile.

Louisa burst out laughing at those remarks. "You're one of the least boring people I've ever met! And you're stories are sometime hilarious and _always_ interesting. _Really_!"

Martin smiled at her and asked "Joan said you were deadly at Scrabble. Still play? If so, I challenge you and Louisa to a game. I just have to read the rules first. How about it?"

Her expression was as surprised as it could be and she answered, "Read the rules? So you've never played Scrabble. Have you ever played any games?" Asked Ruth.

"Chess – the only game my father ever allowed in our house. Give me time to acquaint myself with the rules and the challenge is still on."

"You're on. Louisa? Is he being braggadocios or can he beat us? What do you think?"

Entering into the spirit of things, she replied, "I think…I'll take you both on! Let me finish loading the dishwasher and I'll get the game out. Which of you will bath James Henry and get him ready for bed?"

Ruth looked quizzically at Martin and asked, "Well. Which one of us gets the pleasure of tussling with that wiggle worm?"

He had a quick answer, "One of us bathes him and the other rocks him to sleep. Choose."

"Oh, rock him to sleep. We've started reading Les Miserable's and he's clearly fascinated. And, what's more, we're reading it in the original French!"

Martin nodded. "Very well. I'll do it now while Louisa finishes here and gets the game. I'll study the rules while you do your part. James Henry, I'm ready to be splashed!"

Ruth waited till he was out of earshot and said to Louisa, "My dear, I'm eternally grateful for what you've done for my nephew. Joan was so worried about him and so sad for him. Now, he's a husband, father and his professional life is back on track. Thank you." And she embraced Louisa.

Louisa whispered, "No, no. It's what we've done for each other. And I'm the one who's grateful. I told you before, he needs you. James Henry and I need you! I'm so glad you're coming back to the village."

They were all occupied; Ruth packing her suitcase, Louisa cleaning up the kitchen and Martin upstairs with the baby.

Ruth rocked and read to the baby while Martin studied. This time, he had removed his tie and his sleeves were rolled up. A comfortable Martin. Louisa set the game up and sat quietly, waiting for the game to start.

Ruth brought them tea and it was on. Martin and Ruth were indeed brilliant but Louisa had a talent for spelling and word games and acquitted herself very well. As a matter of fact, she won with bezique.

They looked at her with admiration. "I can see that another game is definitely on the horizon. I very seldom lose at Scrabble. As a matter of fact, I've never been beaten before. Well done."

Louisa was trying very hard not to beam but failed miserably. "A very challenging and interesting game. Congratulations Louisa." He was proud of his intelligent, spirited and loving wife. "Another early night for me. I don't think tomorrow will be quite as easy for me. Ruth, you'll have an early morning, too. Good night. Louisa, will you be up much longer?"

"No. I'll let Buddy out and come right up. Ruth, I can take you to the station in the morning if you wish." She said as she led the little dog to the back door.

"No, my dear. I've already called Mitch. You stay here with the baby. I'll be fine. Good night." She visited the downstairs loo and followed Martin up the stairs. Louisa went up as soon as Buddy finished outside and snuggled down in his bed. Martin was waiting for her and pulled her close to him when she got in the bed.


	80. Chapter 80

Chapter 80

That same night Al implemented his plan to propose to Morwenna. He had tried once before to prepare a romantic dinner for a girl and it was a disaster. This time was fool proof; reservations at The Golden Lion with a table overlooking the ocean, a beautiful sunset, candles on the table and fresh flowers. He had saved out of his meager income for this special night and bought a new shirt and jumper, pressed his pants and polished his shoes and got his hair cut. God, he was nervous!

Morwenna was excited to go on this date with Al. She took particular pains with her hair style and makeup and, taking the weather into account, wore warm wool slacks, a soft jumper and boots. She exchanged her chunky jewelry for a simple gold chain and ear rings that belonged to her grandmother. But, in the end, she couldn't resist adding a large, flowing, pink feather to her hair. A girl needs bling!

She told herself that this was the twenty-first century and women were free to act any way they chose. She would prove that by proposing to Al! Her nerves were tight and her stomach was turning flips but she squared her shoulders and answered his knock on the door.

She greeted him with a long, loving kiss and looked him over. "You look good Al. The color of that jumper matches your eyes. I like it."

He held her at arm's length and looked her up and down. He wolf whistled and kissed her again. "You look…just…very bootiful! Wow!"

"You sounded just like Bert! It takes a long time to look like this so thank you very much." And she held out her arms and twirled around, giving a flirtatious look over her shoulder.

He gulped and stammered, "Are ye…you ready to go? Got us a good table at the Golden Lion. Don't want to be late."

He was using his very best manners when he helped her with her coat and held her arm like she was a fragile piece of china, opening doors and pulling out her chair. She giggled inwardly and loved him more for it. Neither of them were adventurous eaters. Pasties, fish and chips and other simple menu items suited them just fine. And both _loved_ Sticky Toffee Pudding. They entered the restaurant and were shown to their table overlooking the ocean; the candle and flowers just as he'd imagined it. The waiter knew this was a special date and, out of friendship for them both, planned on doing his best to make it perfect.

No one anticipated the family at the table next to them. The father talked incessantly on his Blue Tooth in a loud voice about his business ventures. The mother talked on her mobile to friends at home about the wonderful vacation they were on and how much fun it was and how the children were enjoying it. Such a change from London! Two of the children constantly argued and complained that they had nothing to do and this was a boring place and why couldn't they bring their video games to the restaurant. The food was _so gross_ and on and on. The third child, a chubby boy about five years old, kept trying to get his parents attention by pulling on their arms, climbing on the back of their chairs and saying, "Look down there. Look Mum, see that boat? Daddy! Daddy, look at that man. _Daddy! I want you to look_!" Al tried to be entertaining and work up to his proposal but struggled with temper and dismay instead. She wanted to be gracious and alluring but faced the same problems. Instead, they ate in grumpy silence and glared at the unpleasant distractions next to them. They couldn't ask for a different table because the restaurant was completely booked. The situation was resolved when the child climbed once again on the back, even up the back rungs, of his father's chair, lost his balance and fell back onto Al's shoulders – hard. He went forward and his full pint of dark ale flew across the table and landed smack into the front of Morwenna's jumper. She gasped and fell sideways against the window sill, striking the side of her head.

Al jumped up to rush to her aid, tripped over the mother's over sized bag, grabbed the table's edge, twisted his body while falling to land on his back and the contents of the table dumped on his head. A full bowl of mushy peas landed, as if planned, right on his ear, filling it with soft, green (by the feel of it) goop. He shook his head and splattered the peas in an arc all around him.

They tried to recover their wits (to say nothing of their dignity) before they got to their feet, listening to that neglected child giggle wildly and tell his parents, "Look at that! Do it again!" His mother screamed, jumped to her feet, lifted him and started berating Al for daring to harm her precious son. The father glanced at the melee and calmly continued his conversation about his latest deal on bobble head dogs. The other two children thought that throwing food at each other was preferable to eating it and made a royal mess.

The waiter and manager rushed over to make sure the lovers weren't seriously hurt and, apologizing profusely, helped them to their feet before kindly handing Al a towel. Both were well known in the village and all the sympathy was for them. The manager stopped the mother's shrill ranting by handing her husband their check with a hefty tip added in and ordering them to leave the restaurant. The father finally noticed what was going on and the look on his face almost made up for the ordeal that was supposed to be a romantic dinner. He threw some money down on the table, jerked the two older children up by their arms, growled at his wife, "Let's get the 'ell out of this dump!" and they stormed out. All the remaining customers broke out in applause and Al and Morwenna, getting their sense of the ridiculous back, bowed gracefully.

"Sorry this 'appened to you. Know you love our Sticky Toffee Pudding so how 'bout two orders to go? And everything's on the 'ouse as it were." Said the manager.

Of course that offer was happily accepted.

They left the restaurant to more applause and he was going to suggest a walk to the top of the cliff path to see the lights in the harbor but she swayed a little and held on to his arm. "I'm a little woozy. Must have hit my head harder than I thought."

"That's it. We're goin' to see the Doc." Al ordered. He held her close to her side as they walked up Rosscarrock Hill to the surgery.

"The Doc's not gonna be to happy about this. Think I'll just go home and have a lie down." Morwenna said in a worried voice.

"Nope. Not takin' no chances with you. Keep walkin'. Doc likes you and you know he'll swim to Ireland if somebody needs 'is help." He said reassuringly.

They could see the lights were on in the kitchen so knocked on the back door. Martin answered it and his immediate suspicion was too much to drink. No, neither of them would bother him for that. Al was a mess! He stood at the open door looking at them with his usual scowl, waiting for an explanation.

"Doc, we don't mean to bother you but Morwenna bumped her head and feels…" Al started to explain but was interrupted by Martin.

"Come through." Martin was quick on the uptake if nothing else.

Louisa saw them come in and hurried to greet them. She followed them to the reception area, very curious about how his proposal went. "Al, you've got, well it looks like, mushy peas in your ear. Let me get a flannel. Are you both ok?" She stepped into the small loo and wet a flannel in warm water before handing it to him and looking him over for injuries. "Martin, let me come in with them. He's my _brother_!"

Martin was going to say an unequivocal 'No!', but the worried look on her face stopped him. He just gave a brief nod and ordered Morwenna to get on the examination couch. "How did you hurt your head?"

While she explained the situation and was thoroughly examined by Martin, Al woefully told Louisa about the disastrous date. He was cleaning out his ear and Martin ordered him onto the couch. "Don't do that! You're pushing contaminates into your canal. Let me take a look." He shown a light and carefully extracted a gob of mushy peas. He held them up with an 'I told you so' look and slight snort. After a thorough cleaning of the ear, he said to Morwenna, "I don't think you have a serious injury. Go home and get a good night's sleep. If you have a headache or anything tomorrow, you'll have to go to Wadebridge for treatment. I'm sure that Louisa will drive you there." Martin suggested.

Al spoke up that he could take her if necessary and continued apologetically. "I'm sorry our date got ruined." He sighed and muttered, "I was gonna propose tonight."

Louisa squeezed Martin's hand to signal him to be quiet and waited, holding her breath. He looked confused. Clueless Martin!

Morwenna gazed at him with soft eyes and whispered, "And I was gonna say yes."

He got her coat, helped her put it on and, holding her hand, led her out of the surgery without another word.

Martin shrugged and said, "I thought they'd already done that. Let me have James Henry and I'll bathe and get him ready for bed."

Louisa smiled and thought, "Bet they have a good night but won't get much sleep!"


	81. Chapter 81

Dear Readers – I rewrote the ending to this chapter. I just felt that Louisa's response was exactly what the Doc wouldn't like.

Chapter 81

The next morning went as planned. Louisa got up early to see Martin off, Ruth left for the station and promptly at eight o'clock, Morwenna knocked on the back door and she was grinning from ear to ear. Louisa took one look at her face and they rushed to embrace each other, giggling like school girls.

"Look at my ring! Ain't it luvly?" And she held it out for Louisa to admire which she did eagerly.

"Have you thought about this? We're going to be sisters and Martin will be your brother-in-law!" Louisa said happily.

Morwenna looked stunned for a minute and the said, "The Doc'll be my brother-in-law! Whoo hoo! Maybe I'll dress posh like him." James Henry thought it was his turn for attention and squealed loudly. She picked him up and swung around with him. "And I'm gonna be an aunt! Oh, little nephew! I couldn't be happier!" She and Louisa embraced again before getting down to business.

"I'll be gone until early afternoon – first at the farm house and then the tenant house. I'll have my cell if you need to get in touch with me." Louisa went through his daily routine, what to feed him, etc. "You ok with all of this?"

"Sure I'm ok. Don't you worry none about anything. Hope your work goes ok." Morwenna said.

Louisa kissed and hugged the baby, said goodbye and left.

The farm house was like a beehive. There were men in every room working on the remodel. The foundation for the addition was being dug and the concrete would be poured that afternoon. The lumber would be delivered before lunch.

HP told her about the conversation with the window manufacturer. "His company's got glass that 'closely resembles' the original in the old winders but it's insulated. They'll be made exactly like the ones you got now. The cost is a higher than you thought though. He says $###. Fit your budget?"

She nervously chewed her lip while looking at the budget. The windows were double what she estimated.

HP was accustomed to dealing with budget busting items and offered an alternative plan. "I called the winder company I usually deal with. The cost for Triple glazed windows is a sight more reasonable. Come see the sample I got for ye – the 'authentic cottage look'. Reflects heat back into the house, protects your interior from uv light and they look great. About half the price of trying to match the look of the glass you got now. Here's a brochure. Whatd'ya think?"

She carefully examined the sample and the different styles in the brochure. "I feel that the first company should be given an opportunity to match this deal. When can you get in touch with him?"

HP looked over her shoulder, smiled and said, "How about now? Hey George! Mrs. Ellingham and I need to talk to ye about a different winder."

The introductions were made. She pointed out a picture in the brochure, "I like this window very much. The style is so similar to what we have now and the cost is much better than what you showed me. Before I make a decision, I want to give you a chance to match this deal."

George gave HP a very unfriendly look before he turned to her with a polite smile. He pulled his brochure out and they went over the options.

"I'm sorry but I don't see anything from your company that I like as well as this one or one more reasonably priced. I don't think we can do business but I do want to thank you for coming here. HP, anything you want to say?"

"Yeah. Your winders are fine but not for this job. Maybe next time." HP said politely.

They shook hands and parted company. "I'll get with the company today and give'em the numbers. Ok with ye?"

"Yes, perfectly satisfactory. It looks as if everything is going well. Thanks to you, we just may be in by Christmas! I'm meeting my brother at the other house so I'll see you tomorrow."

She spent the rest of her day listening to Al extol the perfections of his fiancé and his plans for their future. As he talked, they finished the painting and started on the floors. The wide planks had a beautiful patina and gleamed softly after they were cleaned and polished. The buffer was a definite knee saver!

"What are you and Morwenna going to do tonight?" Asked Louisa as they got ready to leave.

"We're gonna move my things to her grandfather's… no _her_ house tonight. Hard for both of us to remember that he left it to her. It'll save me paying rent. If we split all the bills, it'll help us both." He answered smiling happily. "I'm not gonna be here tomorrow you know. Got a job at the Trevathan Farm Shop and Restaurant. Havin' some trouble. Good money for me."

"That's great! And I'll be fine. You've already done so much. Thank you baby brother. Enjoy tonight." She said and they left.

She was aching and tired but knew enough to keep it from Martin. He would lecture and fuss until she was ready to explode! A nice hot soak in an Epsom Salts bath while Morwenna was still there and she would be fine.

That was accomplished and dinner put on the hob by four thirty. Morwenna and James Henry had done great. No worries.

 ****Remember I don't know anything about the workings of a hospital except as a patient and I'm usually asleep!****

Martin's day had begun with previewing the morning's surgical notes, conferring with the performing surgeons, and later, making rounds in the wards. Nothing exciting but all so satisfying. He wore, what he had always thought of as, the 'official uniform' – a white coat. He knew how to act, the language, the conversations consisted of medical issues. He had been steeped in them since his pre-teen years. He read any medical books he could get his hands on, including the ones in his father's study. He remembered getting caught putting one back and the walloping he got and the hours spent in the cupboard for daring to touch anything that belonged to that same man. That didn't stop him from 'borrowing' them, just made him more careful. In one of the beds was the woman he couldn't operate on all those years ago. They recognized each other immediately. She still had that same warm smile and he still scowled.

"Dr. Ellingham! How nice to see you again. What are you doing here?" She exclaimed.

"Mrs. McKinsey." He acknowledged her greeting but, as usual, didn't feel inclined to answer what he considered to be a personal question. He read through her notes and asked, "How are you feeling? Any side effects from the antibiotics?"

"I'm feeling a little better thank you. And, no, no side effects. The other doctor said my breathing will improve with time." She studied him and remembered what he was like before; completely confident and very stern. He had stared at her so strangely. She never understood why. "How much longer will I be here do you think?"

"I'll order another set of x-rays for tomorrow morning and then we can make a decision. Anything else?" He asked.

"Yes. I don't mean to ask anything out of turn but I've always wondered why you didn't do the operation on me all those years ago. You talked to me and my family about it and you were so informative and supportive. We had complete confidence in you and the next thing I knew, a Dr. Spivey did it. What happened? Oh, don't scowl! It's a perfectly reasonable question!"

He snapped her notes closed and hung them back at the foot of the bed and added haughtiness to his scowl.

Completely unperturbed, she smiled affectionately at him. "You look just like my Raymond used to but he always answered my questions in the end. Come now, I'd really like to know."

He was weakening. Her smile reminded him forcefully of Louisa when she looked at James Henry. So beautiful! (Little did he know it but she smiled at him in the exact same way.)

"Harrumph. I…" He was so hesitant!

"Why don't you sit down? Be more comfortable perhaps?" She said invitingly.

He looked at her and spoke quietly, "I didn't do your surgery because I developed haemophobia that morning. The team was ready to begin and, for the first time in my career, I couldn't do it."

He continued with his story and said much more than he ever intended to. She was so attentive - no false sympathy or unwanted psycho-babble. Without realizing it, he leaned forward and placed his elbows on her bed and continued to talk till he reached his present situation. He felt like a marathon runner who at long last finished his race.

She patted his hand and smiled that lovely smile. "I'm so happy for you. My, my. I'd love to meet your wife and son. James Henry is a lovely name!" She gave him a teasing look and continued, "Do you have a picture of them, perhaps?"

He normally despised people who dragged pictures out of their wallets and showed them as if the people forced to look at them were actually interested. In the deepest recesses of his wallet rested a picture of the three of them. Ruth recently took it while he was reading to the baby and Louisa was curled up against him. He reluctantly took it out and handed it to her.

She shook her head slightly with gentle amusement and took it from him. He felt that she actually _looked_ at it and didn't make those ungodly noises that idiotic people automatically made when looking at pictures of babies. "He looks like you and Mrs. Ellingham is lovely."

There were silent for a moment and he took back the picture and put it carefully back in his wallet. She held out a hand to him and he took it in his. His huge paw swallowed her smaller hand! "Harrumph! I must finish my rounds now. Depending on what your xrays show, you may be released tomorrow morning." He released her hand, stood and gave the tiniest nod of gratitude and left. She sighed and just wished he was her son. That was the last time they ever met.

That evening, Martin entered the back door to a squealing son, a loving wife and a well cooked and healthy meal on the hob; Buddy politely waiting for his turn, tail wagging and tongue hanging out. Later that night when they were cuddled in bed together, he briefly told her about meeting Mrs. McKinsey. "She still has that same smile. I feel like a chapter is closed or that I've gone full circle. Can you understand that?"

Louisa nodded and whispered, "Yes, I think so. It's what you said in the session about how different she is from Margaret. It started with her and, now that you've accomplished your goals, it ends with her. Right?"

"Yes. I wish she was my mother. I would have turned out differently – been happier, more pleasant to be around. Normal." Martin lamented.

She started to offer platitudes like 'but you wouldn't have met me' and caught herself just in time. He would shut her out, retreat from her or anything that sounded fake. All she could do was hold him close and whisper, "Yes. I'm just so happy that you're part of me, that we have James Henry. I love you."

She could feel him smiling as he whispered good night.


	82. Chapter 82

Chapter 82

James Henry woke them up around one o'clock. He had spit up, was a little feverish, fretful and wanted comforting. Martin examined him and found swollen gums to be the culprit. "I feel two, maybe three more teeth coming through."

"Martin, go back to bed! You need your rest and I can handle this." Louisa shushed him out of the nursery and carried the baby downstairs for a night of walking around the house, cuddling, singing and reading. She administered medicine from the previous episode and he chewed on her finger with such intense effort that by the time his Daddy came downstairs for breakfast, two teeth had broken through.

He smiled at Martin with a blotchy, snotty smile, so happy to see his Daddy. They went upstairs together and he was cleaned and dressed in no time. "I hope you're ready for some sustenance this morning James Henry. Mommy worries when you don't eat."

Louisa prepared porridge with apples and raisins, fresh squeezed juice and espresso. James Henry took about half his bottle which was more than they hoped for and discovered that chewing on his fingers worked just as well as Mommy's did. And the third tooth came through! His Mommy bragged on him like he had really done something remarkable and offered him cereal and bananas. Yum!

"Louisa, I don't feel it's advisable for you to work at the house today. You need to rest. Will you call Morwenna and tell her she's not needed today or shall I?"

"Thanks Martin but I'll be fine. I don't have anything very strenuous planned for today and should be through early. Don't look like that! I'm really ok and promise to not overdo." She embraced and kissed him goodbye. He was distracted with concern for her so didn't return the kiss with his usual relish. "Mar-tin! Don't worry! Call me at lunch time if you can."

He sighed and questioned the gods, "Why do I bother?" and left for work.

She had two hours before Morwenna would be there so took the opportunity to take a nap with the baby. He was tired, too. Morwenna entered a silent house at five till eight. What the dickens? She tiptoed into the lounge and there was Louisa fast asleep on the sofa as was James Henry in the playpen. Must have been a bad night for both of them. She sat quietly in the kitchen waiting for them to wake up and the baby didn't disappoint. He sneezed and sat up, looking around the dark, quiet house. She quickly picked him up and, whispering, said, "Let's go change your nappy. Maybe Mommy can sleep a little while longer. Sh-h-h, let's go."

He knew he was being coaxed and loved Morwenna but he also knew his tummy was very empty. As she carried him towards the stairs he looked startled at first and then, dismayed. His whimper quickly turned into a howl of anger and hunger. Louisa jumped up, still lost in sleep and called for Martin.

"Mornin'Louiser. Didn't mean for us to wake you but my nephew is hungry!"

"I'm sure he is! Good morning. He was cutting teeth last night and now I've overslept! Will you feed him for me while I get ready? Be back in a minute."

She was brushed, dressed and back downstairs before James Henry finished his breakfast. She called the local truck rental company and arranged for two men to bring a truck to help her move some of the furniture she had placed in the two storage buildings to the tenant house and place it and the appropriate rooms. A quick kiss for James Henry and she was out the door. Her first stop was the farm house where she made a few minor decisions and then drove to the storage company to meet the men with the truck. They made quick work of emptying the room and then the building next to the house. She was so pleased with them that a good tip found its way into their hands. The rest of the day was spent cleaning and polishing. She stood looking down the hallway into the gleaming rooms and was satisfied with the results. All they needed now was the stove and refrigerator. She called Mr. Ryall to check on his progress and, to her dismay, found that he was ill and hadn't even started on their appliances! Now it would be at least eight weeks before they were ready.

She called Berlewen Newth to see what her options were and found that, in spite of her incessant chatter, she was always on top of things and had good ideas. Like – use rented appliances while waiting. She and Conan said they would come check it out and make sure it was ready to go on his inventory list for available rentals as soon as the final inspection was complete. Growing up in the village, knowing so many people and having taught so many of the local children were certainly beneficial things to have in your corner when it came to getting pushed to the head of the line in situations like inspections. She called Edmond Tailor and, after chatting about his children, he actually asked her if she was ready for him to come out and do the final inspection. She giggled, thanked goodness for the village gossip mill and made an appointment for the very next day.

Whew! She was ready for a nap! Instead, she stopped at the grocers and bought the ingredients for their dinner and went home.

Morwenna and the baby were out for a walk so she unloaded her purchases and went to find them. They were on the platt watching the seagulls and James Henry was squealing with delight. Morwenna was friendly and smiling as usual but something was on her mind. Louisa stood, hands on hips with a quizzical look on her face and waited. Morwenna laughed and said, "You're right. I got a question. It's just hard to find the words."

"You're going to be my sister! You can always ask me anything. Now, go ahead – ask."

"Alright. Al and I want the local registrar to marry us. Simple like. I don't have any family so would you consider bein' my maid of honor? Stand up with me?" Morwenna asked shyly.

"Of course I will! Morwenna, it's an honor to be asked." Louisa exclaimed. Morwenna still looked hesitant so she queried again, "What else? Go ahead."

"Do you think the Doc'll give me away? Now that grand-dad and Bert's gone, he's the only one I would even think of askin'. He won't have to do anything much." She asked.

Louisa started to answer 'yes' but the memory of how uncomfortable he was at his own wedding made her stop. "We both know he cares for you but…"

"I know. And I know how he is but it's him or nobody. What'er you doin' this weekend?" Morwenna looked determined.

"Nothing that I know of. Why?" Louisa was beginning to look amused.

"Come to dinner Saturday. Around five and I'll cook somethin' healthy, get him in a good mood and pop the question." Morwenna was grinning hopefully.

They embraced and she left, eager to tell Al her plans. Louisa cuddled with James Henry for play time before she started dinner. Fish pie made with whole wheat crust and tender white fish and steamed broccoli. A compromise meal for them – luscious enough for her and healthy enough for him. Even a healthy dessert – a poached pear tart. (Sort of healthy!)

Martin's day was similar to his previous day except, of course, meeting Mrs. McKinsey. She had been released that morning. He had lunch with Chris and Dr. Black and their discussions centered around fund raising and ideas to attract other sources. The research wing was in desperate need of new equipment. Thank goodness the surgical department and most of the rest of the departments still maintained a passing grade! This was the one area of working in a hospital that Martin hated. Socializing was never easy for him and adding smoozing to it was absolute torture! Chris knew him well enough to guess his reactions but they were reaching the point that required emergency actions. He was ready to berate him into attending the next one when Martin took the wind out of his sails.

"Louisa will be a tremendous asset in situations like that. Chris can tell you that I'm definitely not comfortable attending social slash business meetings but I'm sure my wife will take up the slack. When and where will it be held?"

Chris sat with mouth agape and Dr. Black, grinning to herself, answered for him. Martin nodded, entered the info into his calendar and excused himself from the meeting.

 *****Don't know where this came from or why I felt the need to write it except it's part of Martin's growth. Hope it's not too bad.*****

He finished his rounds and the last patient, a Parker Williams, was a sullen teen age boy with piercings in the regular and also the most unlikely places – some of which were infected. He was listening to music through ear buds that was loud enough for Martin to hear when he entered the room. The boy had strange bruises that didn't fit the explanations he gave to the doctors. He asked, "Any changes in your condition that we should know about?" No response. "I asked you a question." Still nothing. The patient gave every appearance of being deliberately rude. He knew Martin was there and had spoken. Very rebellious. It never occurred to Martin as a child to be even slightly rude much less rebellious so he had no clue what would make this child act in such a way. He visually assessed him; medium height, well built, generally healthy and the magazine he was reading was definitely _not_ for the slow witted. Royal Society of Chemistry's publication of 'Chemical Science' was advanced reading, especially for a child!

Martin calmly unplugged the ear buds and removed them from the boy's ears.

"Feck you! Give 'em back!" He shouted.

"Answer my very simple questions and I'll consider it. Are there any changes in your condition?" Martin asked.

"Tosser! I don't have to talk to you! Just let me OUT OF HERE! Where's my Mum anyway?" The boy was getting more agitated with every passing moment.

"I haven't seen your Mum and you'll be released when we deem that you're well enough." Martin considered his bruises and asked, "You got those bruises by falling down stairs?"

"Whut of it? Bruises is bruises." Was the mutinous reply.

"And some of your piercings need attention. They require daily treatment for a few days after you get them." Martin continued.

The boy automatically touched the worst one and flinched.

Martin drew the curtains around the bed for privacy and continued, "I'll have the nurse treat them and instruct you as to their care. Also, the music you're listening to is too loud and can damage your hearing irrevocably."

The boy gave an exaggerated sigh and said, "Hope you're done lecturin'. I'm hungry and you're a _boring-g-g_ feck face!" And presented a rude gesture with his hand. Martin noticed the how red his eyes were becoming and continued to talk and nodded to the journal continued.

"When I was in med school, I read these journals. Couldn't get enough of them."

The boy grabbed the journal and protectively stuck it under the covers.

"I'm sure there are extra editions here if you want more to read – and other publications that are specific to chemistry." The boy looked interested and hopeful before remembering that he was rebelling and his expression returned to a scowl. "And no, I'm not quite finished. Those bruises did _not_ come from a fall. You've been beaten and more than once. Those are restraint marks on your wrists. Who's abusing you? No answer? You don't have to act like a stubborn idiot when help is right in front of you." Scared silence was all he got but the tears were harder to hold back. "You leave me no choice; I'm calling the authorities. The nurse will be with you shortly." He turned to leave and heard a sob from the boy and turned back to see a completely different child. This one was scared and defenseless. "Who's hurting you? We can help you but must have some answers." Just more quiet sobs and trembling. "Is your Mum in danger, too?"

The boy jerked and turned away. Martin vividly remembered his childhood ordeals and desperately wanted to help. "Here's my phone. Call your Mum and your situation can be discussed by the people who can and will help you."

The boy reached for the phone and dialed a number. "Uncle Angus? Can you come get me? I'm in the hospital and the doc's here and wants to talk to Mum. Yes, she did it a…" He choked, hung up, wiped his face on his sheets and handed the phone back. In a hurt and defensive voice, he said, "It's my Mum. She doesn't mean to! It's not her fault. It's not her fault!"

"It sounds as if your Mum also needs help. I'm asking you to trust us. Everything that we do is for your protection and benefit. I'm going to call the people who can help you with this problem. Whatever it is, they will help you. All right?"

The boy nodded and Martin left to have a nurse come in to help treat his infections and the head nurse to call Social Services. And, he was not to be left alone but not with obvious surveillance. No need to frighten him more than he was already. He went to the library and picked up several older copies of journals that might be of interest to the boy and gave them to the nurse with instructions to pass them on to the patient. Now, his involvement was over. Time for the experts to take over. He desperately hoped that the boy would be all right.

That night he held James Henry a little longer and tighter than usual. Louisa knew that something was bothering him but had learned to not push. It might be something confidential and she had no right to the information.


	83. Chapter 83

Chapter 83

The next morning as Martin ate his breakfast, Louisa told him that Morwenna had invited them for dinner on Saturday. He looked surprised but his scowl wasn't as fierce as she expected it to be. "Unexpected. Do you know what she's preparing or if we can bring anything?"

"No idea but I'll ask. At least I'll ask if we can bring a salad or something. She knows your opinions on healthy eating and I'm sure she'll bear them in mind when making the menu. Ruth will be here. Should we ask if she's invited also?" Louisa asked.

"No. Neither I nor Ruth would wish her forced on other people. Besides, Morwenna must have a specific reason for this invitation and may not want an audience when she asks whatever it is." He said after a minute's consideration. "I'll see you tonight and please don't overdo today." He leaned down to kiss her stopped to ask, "By the way, there's a small café down the street from the hospital that makes excellent tabbouleh. Shall I bring some to go with our dinner tonight?"

She answered, "Yes, please! I'd like some naan if they carry it. Lamb kabobs and roasted potatoes will be a delicious meal."

They kissed, he stroked the baby's cheek and disappeared into the still, dark morning. By the time she was dressed and ready, James Henry was awake and babbling happily. A good start to her day!

She checked in at the farm house and was pleased to see that foundation for the addition would be poured today. The upstairs was finished except for the painting and wallpapering. It was all so cozy and welcoming. Edward, the painter, was fast and good. As a matter of fact, most of the rooms upstairs were finished and as soon as the plumbers finished in the master bedroom, he would start on it. While he waited, he worked on sanding and painting the kitchen cabinet doors and cleaning the hardware. The rest of the crews were busy with their assigned tasks. Things were going according to schedule.

Mrs. Newth called to say the rented stove and refrigerator would be delivered tomorrow by lunchtime. She was happy to hear about the inspection scheduled for this morning. "Things are just movin' along for you ain't they darlin'? Happy for you. I know you'd like to talk but I _must_ run along. Much to do! Much to do!"

Louisa choked with laughter and relief and drove to the tenant house to meet Edmond. It would be good to see him again. While she waited, she looked at the windows again. They had been updated a few years back and should be ok. Hope on, hope ever! After Edmond left, she planned on digging out the terrace in preparation for laying the pavers. "Oh my aching back!" she thought. But worth the work for the appeal it gave to potential renters.

Edmond pulled in the parking space and greeted her with a hug and a smile. "Hello, Louiser! It's sure been a while since we saw each other last. Catch me up on things while I do the inspection."

She was always happy to talk about her family so spent most of the time talking about them. He was, of course, interested in the hidden cellar so wanted to hear all about it. Before long, he was finished. "Who is this Elspeth Julian? The work is excellent. No trouble signing off on it."

Louisa explained and he said, in confidence, that he was always glad to meet people who were tops in their field and wouldn't mind passing her name along as opportunities presented themselves.

"Well, I'm all through and here's your signed permit. Just in case the charming Inspector Wall decides to show up again."

Louisa smiled as she remembered the odious little man and said, "It's ok if he does. I can handle him alright. Thanks for doing this for us and it's so good to see you again. Are you going to run for Council again?"

They talked a while longer and, finally, he had to leave. "'Myttin da'* Louiser. Need me again, just call."

"I will and 'myttin da' to you." She said and waved good bye as he drove away.

Now, time to start digging! Oh boy!

By three o'clock she was exhausted and ready to quit. She had actually been ready to quit at one o'clock but was determined to finish. Tomorrow she would lay the pavers. She stopped by the grocers to pick up the lamb for the kabobs and the potatoes. A kiss for the baby, a hot relaxing bath and she was ready for cuddle/play time with James Henry before starting the preparations for dinner.

It was a good day.

Martin arrived at the hospital expecting the same schedule that he had been following but was in for a surprise. There had been a collision between a lorry and tour bus and there were with many injuries – some of them requiring surgery. Unfortunately, one of the surgeons had called in sick so they were one short. Martin was supposed to assist in one of the less complicated surgeries.

The surgeon scheduled was young and hadn't a lot of experience. He smiled with nervous gratitude when Martin joined him at the sink and scrubbed his hands.

"We haven't been introduced properly. I'm Dr. Jack Crosby. Of course I know who you are. Thanks for joining me. I've never done this procedure before but I've read extensively about it." He stammered.

Martin wore his usual scowl and nodded in response. "It should be straight forward. Just pay attention."

Jack took a deep breath, nodded and led the way into the surgery. Everyone in the room could see how nervous he was and all of them took steps to ease his way. Nothing helped. He fumbled and stuttered which made him more nervous. He felt as if he were on some bloody merry-go-round and couldn't get off. Martin, on the other hand, felt so at ease to be there. It was as if his haemophobia never existed. His hands were steady, heartbeat and breathing normal, mind clear.

Everyone was ready and the surgery started. At least it would have if Dr. Crosby hadn't been shaking so hard. His hand with the knife hovered over the patient's upper thigh. He was dripping with sweat and swallowing convulsively. Martin stepped closer and said softly, "One step at a time. It's just skin and blood and this woman needs your help. Steady. Steady on. That's it. Just make the cut."

"I can't! I… I'm going to be sick!" He moaned.

Martin remained calm and said, "Just step away and leave the operating room. Everything will be handled satisfactorily. Nurse, I'm taking over so be ready."

Dr. Crosby ran from the room holding his hand over his mouth and tears running down his face.

Martin finished the operation, checked for stray swabs and stitched the wound closed. The attending nurses and anesthetist nodded and told him "Well done." He nodded back and left the room.

Dr. Crosby was sitting in the changing room, head down and ashamed. "I'm so sorry. I should have told someone that this was happening to me. I can't bear the sight or smell of blood anymore! Why has it happened so quickly to me?"

Martin sat beside him and said, "If anyone understands your situation it is I. There's no set time. It took me several years to develop and then overcome my phobia and I had the help of very special people."

"I don't know what to do! I can't take the chance of harming someone by throwing up on them or passing out right in the middle of an incision. I don't know what to do." He moaned

"Yes you do. Go to Dr. Black and Dr. Parsons. Tell them what's going on and they can help you. Dr. Parsons certainly helped me. You may recover fully from you phobia or you may not but that doesn't mean your medical career is over. There are many fields open to you." Martin said encouragingly.

Dr. Crosby nodded and stood, ready to leave the room. "Thank you Martin. I'll take your advice. Oh, and I'll tell them how you took over for me. Goodbye." And he marched, head up, out of the room.

Martin sat quietly for a few minutes thinking about what had happened. It was just like he had stepped out of the operating room yesterday. It was possible that he could start performing surgeries right away.

Dr. Phillips came in, blood spattered and ready to scrub up for the next surgery.

"Hello. Has Dr. Crosby finished already? Where is he?" He asked as he stripped of his bloody scrubs and donned clean ones.

"He's gone to see Dr. Black and Dr. Parsons and yes the operation has been completed. Is there anything else I can do to help?" Martin replied.

"Gone to see Dr. Black and Chris? That's odd when we need him here." Dr. Phillips looked at Martin assessingly. "What happened in there? And your scrubs are bloody. I was depending on him to perform another surgery and he's not here." And he stopped, almost tapping his foot, while he waited for an answer.

Martin hesitated before answering, "I can't answer for him and I'm sure you'll hear, in due time, what he has to say. But I can say that I successfully did his surgery and am ready to do more if needed."

Dr. Phillips sighed in relief and said, "All right. Suit and scrub up. The next patient wasn't involved in the accidents but is in urgent need of an amputation. He refused treatment or any medication for diabetes because he was thoroughly convinced that the Lord was going to heal him.** Now he's blind and has gangrene in his right leg. This is a real tragedy that so easily could have been prevented. Damn him! His grand-daughter finally called an ambulance just this short of too late. He's in operating room three. Everyone is there waiting for you." He scrubbed up and left the room.

Martin quickly changed his scrubs and scrubbed up all the while cursing the stupidity of people. He hated when people harmed themselves through negligence or plain stupidity. The same team was assisting in this surgery so they were familiar with each other.

He thought about his day on the way home. Unbeknownst to him, Dr. Black and Chris observed his surgeries from the gallery. Dr. Black nodded approvingly from time to time and Chris could barely contain his pride in his friend. He was flawless and it was obvious that his team worked well with him. They met after he showered and changed. She told him to be at the hospital at five o'clock and report to surgery starting tomorrow, shook his hand in congratulations and left. A woman of few words!

Chris, waiting till she left, grabbed his hand and heartily shook it, saying, "Congratulations old man! I knew it wouldn't be long till you were back in surgery. Couldn't be happier!"

Martin's scowl was weakening and he broke into a smile at Chris's exclamation.

"It's good to be back!" He turned serious and continued, "I've so much to thank you for."

Chris looked at the smile he hadn't seen in years. Since the incident with Edith and his parents as a matter of fact. His friend was coming back to life!

"No thanks needed mate. Can't wait to tell Carol about this. We need to celebrate. I'll be in touch. Right?" Chris said, still beaming with happiness.

"Yes. We'll think of something." Martin said. They nodded and went their separate ways.

He pulled in the surgery parking space and entered the back door. The kitchen smelled wonderful, his son squealed and reached for him. He picked him up and the baby nuzzled his face against his Daddy's scruffy chin, drooling and chewing on the soft flesh. "James Henry! Your manners are failing again. Drooling on your father's chin is absolutely forbidden!"

The baby giggled and pulled back to look at his father, smiling happily.

Louisa watched them, smiling broadly. Martin reached out an arm to include her in his embrace and felt that life wouldn't ever be better than this…but he was wrong.

*Good morning

**My aunt actually acted this way. No amputation but she is blind and her whole body is a wreck. She wouldn't accept that the healing that doctors do is our gift from God. I told her once that their knowledge certainly doesn't come from evil.


	84. Chapter 84

Chapter 84

Saturday came and the weather was beautiful – cold, crisp and clear blue skies. Martin prepared the roasted sprouts that Morwenna requested he bring, they packed the car and left for the dinner engagement. Al met them at the door and immediately took his nephew. "Look at this littl' feller, a new toy from me and Auntie 'wenna." Louisa spread out his play mat and Al placed him on it. His new toy was a touch and feel console that made different noises and played back the baby's squeals and gurglings. Needless to say, it was a big hit.

Louisa accepted a glass of wine and Martin his usual glass of water. They gathered in the kitchen and talked while Al made the salad and Morwenna took the roast chicken out of the cooker. It looked and smelled delicious! She asked Martin to carve it while she dealt with the boiled potatoes. "I put mint in'em like you do, Doc. Smells good, huh?"

"Yes, adds flavor without adding fat or sodium. Wise choice, Morwenna." He replied.

They ate, talking comfortably until she brought out apples and cheese. Martin looked at her quizzically until she spoke. "Doc, I want to ask a favor of you and I won't say it doesn't matter if you turn me down neither. It's important to me." Silence and Martin shifted in his chair, waiting for her to continue. She said in a rush "I want you to give me away at our weddin'. I mean, I'm closer to you than anybody since Grand-dad died and we're gonna be brother and sister. Whada'ya say Doc? Will you?" And she held her breath waiting for his answer.

"I think the tradition is certainly outmoded and wrong. You're nobodies to 'give away' but I also remember that it's something that Louisa wanted in our ceremony so, yes, I agree to do it. When will the ceremony be?"

The other three people at the table let out a collective sigh of relief and Morwenna jumped up from the table and, for the first time, hugged him. The look on his face made Louisa smile with happiness – he looked surprised and pleased. "Thanks Doc. Means a lot to us. Al, you wanna tell him when?"

"Sure. We don't see any need for a long engagement and don't wanna spend too much on the wedding so it'll be at the registrar's office two weeks from today. Thanks, Doc."

Martin nodded and told them, "Very wise, both of you."

Louisa chimed in with, "What will your dress be like and do I need to wear anything special?"

"All I can tell you is simple. I'll know it when I see it and, no, nothin' new, just pretty." Morwenna replied, smiling hugely.

They visited for a little while longer and then Louisa said it was time for James Henry to get ready for bed.

Martin was thoughtful on the short drive home. The baby already had his bath so they sat together in the lounge and Martin read his bedtime story while Louisa gave him his bottle. After he was asleep and in his crib, Martin told her what was on his mind. "Since I'm standing in for her Grand-father, shouldn't I be responsible for buying her wedding dress? Doesn't the bride's family usually pay for it?"

"What a generous thing to do! Yes, they do. And the flowers. It may be a simple ceremony but that doesn't mean it can't be pretty!"

The next two weeks passed in much the same manner as the previous ones. Conan and Mrs. Newth gave the tenant house rave reviews. All they needed to do add was the picnic area close to the cliff and Mrs. Newth brought perfect linens to compliment the furniture. Louisa asked H.P. for advice and he sent two carpenters to assess the location. He gave her a price, she accepted it and it was done.

They constructed it out of treated lumber stained a weathered white. Six by six posts for the uprights and curved, wide planks over head with a slate floor. Simple and beautiful. Martin gave it his highest approval - a nod and a 'Very suitable'. Praise indeed!

Conan had renters booked for several months ahead. Both their properties proved to be good income until one was needed for another purpose.

The day of the wedding arrived. Morwenna looked lovely in a simple, knee length white dress with a sweetheart neckline. Martin surprised her and Louisa by presenting her with a simple single strand of perfectly matched pearls. Maybe he did it just to get the delighted hugs and smiles from their recipient. Morwenna felt she had to include her best friend's little girl as a flower girl. She was a normal, active and inquisitive child guaranteed to liven up the ceremony. She had on a new dress that she was very proud of and kept twirling around to show it off. She also kept scratching her bum much to the dismay of the rest of the party.

"Are you in need of assistance?" Martin asked, eyeing her with a suspicious look. She looked like a prankster and probably just wanted attention.

She looked at him blankly still scratching. He tried again, "Is your posterior bothering you for some reason?" Honestly! It was like talking to a post! "Why are you scratching your bum?" He almost yelled out.

"Cause it itches, right here." She pulled up her dress, pulled down her knickers and bent over right in front of everyone, mooning them all. They couldn't help it; they all burst out laughing.

She had an insect bite on her left cheek that had become inflamed from the scratching. Fortunately, he always had his medical bag with him from force of habit. "Come here and let me put something on it to stop the itching." He ordered.

"Sure wish you would 'cause it itches like a sonobitch!" She said in an aggrieved voice.

"Little girls shouldn't talk like that. Didn't your parents tell you that?" He said in a stern voice as he administered the medicine.

"My daddy says it all the time so why can't I?" She asked reasonably.

Her parents blushed fiery red and the father stammered, "Honey, I shouldn't say that word ever. Let's both agree to not say it again. Deal? Sorry Doc, I guess she learned it from me."

"Harrumph! I'm sure. Does that relieve the itching?" Blank look again. "Does your bum feel better?" He asked impatiently.

She twisted around, knickers still down at her ankles and examined the spot. "Yis, but I didn't get a bandaid. Can't I have a bandaid, pulease?

"Will you be quiet if I give you one?"

Yis, put it on. Now, Wenna, you ready for me?"

Morwenna answered, still smiling at her antics, "Yes, but pull your knickers up first!"

And the wedding proceeded uninterrupted.

Martin had made reservations at Nathan Outlaw, rated the best restaurant in PortWenn.

Morwenna whispered to Martin, "Thanks Doc. You and Louiser made this the best day of me…my life. Thank you."

Martin just grunted and pulled out her chair.


	85. Epilogue

Epilogue

Time to wrap up this journey I've created. Martin is fulfilled and trusts in his happiness, first with a family that adores him and who he loves with all his heart and second, his career was back on track.

Christie's held a private auction and raised more money selling the casks of cognac than Martin or Louisa ever dreamed possible - enough to endow the village with a trust fund to be administered by the council that would benefit every citizen there and to set up and maintain a computer center in the school library. Ruth steadfastly refused any portion of it. "I have enough to satisfy my needs, thank you!" She chose, after consulting with Martin and Louisa, upon her death, to leave the proceeds from selling her house to the village for the counsel to administer. Quite a chunk of change!

They kept enough back for their children's and any children that Al and Morwenna might have. Yes, I said children. Louisa became pregnant shortly after they moved into the farm house and had a little girl they named Ruth Anne. Anne was Auntie Joan's middle name. Ruth was comical upon hearing the news, blushed, harrumphed, turned around as if looking for something and finally pulled the parents into a tearful embrace, for once in her life speechless.

Al and Morwenna presented them with three nieces and they all shared babysitting duties. All the children loved playing at the farm helping to gather eggs, feeding the sheep, digging in the raised garden beds, playing on the swing set and all sorts of games. Both the children had pet dogs but none lived up to Buddy. He was carefully buried on a mound close to the cliff. They put a simple marker over the grave with just 'Buddy' carved on it.

Martin planted herbs and surprised Louisa by having a very green thumb. It never occurred to him to wear jeans or dungarees but he bought serviceable khakis and some work shirts – always perfectly pressed. His boots were the same as Uncle Phil had worn – except his were always cleaned and polished after he wore them in the garden. He was still Martin after all!

Ruth lived her remaining years in the village becoming an integral part of the daily life of its inhabitants –counseling, advising, encouraging and even teaching the adult literacy classes that Louisa had planned on starting. She contributed to various studies for a few years but discovered that the villagers had much more interesting and less depressing problems so retired. She led an exercise class for senior citizens three days a week and one for wheelchair bound people two days a week. "If you can move, you can exercise" was her motto. She was a frequent visitor at the farm and a favorite with the children. Her bedroom with the wallpaper she loved was always ready for her.

Thanks to an investment from Martin and Louisa in his business, Al managed to grow it into the biggest and most successful computer programming and repair company in the area.

Morwenna finished her accounting degree and, in spite of having three children, had her own business and kept the books for most of the local businesses. It was a common sight in the village to see her, children in tow, going from place to place to conduct her business.

James Henry and Ruth Anne grew up in the village and attended the local school. They were happy, healthy, well adjusted children. Ruth Anne was definitely a daddy's girl and followed him step for step whenever he was home. She returned to the village to be a teacher in the school and rose to the position of Head Teacher – the youngest ever to hold the position. Martin and Louisa deeded the cottage to her where she lived until she married and started a family of her own. James Henry chose medicine as his career and was a top heart surgeon in Martin's old hospital in London. He came back to the village as often as he could and, later, brought his family with him. It was home, after all.

Louisa never returned to teaching. She took over running the farm and found tremendous satisfaction in doing so. The local butcher shops were happy to buy their sheep. She joined the quilting guild and surprised herself and Martin by how beautiful her creations were. The store specializing in local crafts had good success in selling them. Every room in their house had at least one piece of furniture she had refinished.

Martin continued to be a surgeon at the Truro hospital. His reputation, always stellar and the knowledge that he was performing surgery again, spread throughout the system and he was called in to perform specialized surgeries and consult on others as often as possible. Once he was called to assist James Henry in an operation on a very important politician, an occurrence neither of them would ever forget.

Chris and Carol helped her find a small baby grand piano as a surprise for Martin. He started playing it again mainly to please Louisa, then just for the pure joy of it. Chris and Carol brought their instruments with them on occasion and they played together again.

They did have one scare – Louisa developed cancer in her right breast. Martin had heard the expression 'the earth moved under his feet' but never believed it possible until Louisa broke the news to him. Needless to say, she had the very best of care and support from him throughout her ordeal. He was the one who shaved off her beautiful chestnut hair and, in an effort to comfort her, told her she had a very interesting and unique cranium. She laughed weakly but had to admit that his statement didn't make her feel one whit better! So much better to have hair! She was declared cancer free after two grueling treatment regimes but, of course, continued to be monitored every few months for any recurrences.

Well, that's it readers. I wanted Martin to find and share happiness with the woman he loved. Both are good people and deserve their shot at happiness. Hope I didn't forget any lose ends.

Happy trails, Doc and Louisa.

The end.


End file.
